Kisses: Mistletoe or No
by madmiko
Summary: A collection of drabbles and vignettes. Mostly Hiei x Kagome, but a few other pairings will crop up occasionally. Really could be Teen, but rated M in case I feel naughty later on.
1. Chapter 1

I haven't tried my hand with a drabble before, but I felt inspired by that delicious collection of Hiei/Kag drabbles that _SadBrokenWings_ put up. You should check it out, -- it's called "Sure." So, I thought I'd give it a whirl. (I may just be too verbose to do a good drabble. LOL!) Most of these will be Hiei/Kag, but believe it or not, I actually have a couple of other pairings in mind to try. The first ones will be holiday-themed in honor of the season, but I hope to keep adding to the collection, hence the title. (And yes, I really am still working on the next chapter of "Black Widow Miko," and will try to finish it and get it up ASAP. But I wanted to do something Christmassy. )

If these are okay, I'm dedicating them to _SadBrokenWings, Hieisexymiko, Sardave, Crazy Mishka, Ryukotsusei,_ _BrokenSouledPoetess, Yue no Rei, MikaRabidKitsune, KibaSin, and BoxingKing_. If they suck, I'm dedicating them to my husband. LOL!! (And yes, he laughed when I told him that. )

DISCLAIMER: As of this moment, I do not own "InuYasha" or "Yu Yu Hakusho." They still belong to their respective creators, Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. However, I _did_ ask Santa Claus for them, and I've been a really good girl this year.

Kisses: Mistletoe or No

"Provoked"

This was getting ridiculous. It was bad enough that he had let Kurama drag him to this little get-together without him having to watch _her_ walk around in that shameless, skimpy little excuse for a dress. Her shoulders were bare, and there was plenty of cleavage showing above that irritating white, fuzzy stuff. She was going to catch a chest cold. He added some extra heat to the room.

Then there was the skirt of it. It was so short, he could swear he'd seen her undergarment, -- a tiny, piece of red cloth with two white bows on the sides, -- when she had bent over to pick up a napkin someone had dropped. Those white socks and long, fingerless gloves weren't really hiding anything, either. No, they just emphasized the fact that she wasn't wearing nearly enough clothing. Damn onna.

He didn't care _what_ the fox said about it being fashioned after some Western version of a mythical being of good will and generosity, he'd bet her mother hadn't seen her in it. If she _had_, she shouldn't have let her out of the house. Can't trust anyone.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Far from it. That damn Keiko had decorated the restaurant with all kinds of lights and greenery, and apparently there was some insane ningen tradition that said a male could just grab any female that was standing under those little twigs with the white berries and _kiss_ her, whether he had any intentions towards her or not. And they were all over the place! He'd watched Kurama kiss her. And Koenma. Then Yusuke. Even that idiot, Kuwabara, had dared to kiss her. At least he had sense enough not to put his lips on hers, and had kissed her rosy pink cheek instead. It was infuriating. Damn ningen and their stupid damn traditions.

Then Chuu, Rinku, Jin, and Touya had shown up. There were too many damn males at this party. Sure, all of the girls were getting kissed, even Yukina, which was also annoying, but _she_ was getting kissed _twice_ as many times as the others. Why didn't she ever look up to see whether she was under one of those damn, stinking little branches before she stood still for a few minutes?!!? Every youkai in the place had already catalogued the exact location of every one of the damn things, and was just waiting to pounce on her. He could see it in their eyes. He was getting a headache.

He turned to see Keiko greeting three new arrivals, -- Shippou, Kouga, and Inuyasha. Who the hell had invited _them?_ He heard Keiko giggle and saw her point out the pieces of mistletoe as she explained the tradition to them. Then he saw their eyes take on a predatory gleam as all three of them turned their attention to the object of his extreme agitation. Oh, _HELL _NO!

He had had enough. He stalked over to her, and ignoring her startled look as he pulled her against him, he captured her lips in a bruising, possessive kiss. Gentling his hold on her when he felt her arms encircle him and her hand cup the nape of his neck, he let her soothe his frazzled nerves when she slid her lips along his and pressed several small, soft kisses of her own to his mouth and along his cheek. He could feel her smile against him, and her breath was warm in his ear when she whispered, "It's about time."

His grip on her tightened again when he heard Yusuke laugh and yell, "Hey, Hiei! You can't do that, man, -- Kagome's not standing under any mistletoe right now."

"Real youkai don't need mistletoe," he snapped back. "And _you_," he glared at the girl in his arms, "will stand right here for the rest of the evening or I'm taking you home."

"That suits me fine," she smilingly agreed, slipping her hand in his.

"Well, at least we can still _look_ at her," Kouga said, in a loud whisper.

With a pointed glare in the ookami's direction, Hiei whipped his cloak off and fastened it around Kagome's shoulders. If she thought she was going to wear that dress next year, she was sadly mistaken. At least, she wasn't going to be wearing it where anyone _else_ could see her.

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A/N _Lady Shieru_ is actually doing a Christmas picture for me of Hiei and Kagome, and she sent me a sketch of it. I tried to describe Kag's outfit from that. You should check out her gallery on DeviantArt if you want to see it when it's done. I was expecting a sweet, warm moment between them under the mistletoe, but her picture is smoking hot!!! Woo hoo!!!


	2. Chapter 2 The Greatest Gift

DISCLAIMER: "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" still belong to Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. But, since I sent them Bourbon Chocolates for Christmas, I'm sure they're sending me Hiei and Kagome. I can't wait to check my mail tomorrow!

Kisses: Mistletoe or No

"The Greatest Gift"

At the first pulse of ancient power from the old well-house, Hiei leaped down from his perch in the Goshinboku and made his way rapidly through the courtyard of the Higure Shrine. He had almost given up hope that Kagome would return tonight.

When the door opened, and Inuyasha stepped out into the moonlight with Kagome in his arms, and the strong metallic tang of copper filled the air, the hiyoukai's heart froze.

"I knew you'd be here, you three-eyed runt," the hanyou grunted. "Don't worry, she'll be all right. She's a little banged up and has some cuts, but nothing too serious. She did hit her head, though, so it may be a while before she wakes up."

The smell of blood was getting stronger. "You didn't fare as well, I take it," Hiei said.

Inuyasha grinned. "No, but I did what I had to do. Naraku is dead. She doesn't have to go back anymore. And she doesn't have to guard that damn jewel, either. It's gone."

Hiei's gaze sharpened and he asked, "What happened to it?"

"She managed to grab it and purify it during the fight, and she tossed it to me before Naraku threw her into a tree and knocked her out. After I killed the bastard, I made a wish and it disappeared."

Seeing the blood now starting to pool at Inuyasha's feet, the hiyoukai freed the Jagan to examine Kagome more carefully, but her aura seemed strong. The hanyou's, however, was rapidly weakening. "I'll call Botan and we'll take you into the Reikai. They have healers ..."

"No. No time for that. But I won't die until I say what I have to say." His vision was blurring slightly, so he shifted the girl in his arms so he could see her face more clearly. "I didn't like you, Hiei. Keh, that's no secret. And when Kagome first told me about you, I hated her, too. I didn't understand. I thought she was deserting me, -- that her love for me had been a lie. But it wasn't."

He sighed heavily. "When Kagome loves someone, she loves them completely, and forever. She loved me enough to let go. She's ... a helluva lot stronger than me when it comes to matters of the heart. She knew how difficult it was for me when Kikyou returned. I had already grown to love Kagome, but my love for Kikyou hadn't died just because _she_ had. I hurt her a lot when Kikyou was around, and when she died _again_, well, I just couldn't get over it. So, she let go so I wouldn't have to keep feeling like my heart was split. And after a while, she met you.

It ... took me a long time to be able to accept that. But no matter how mean or stupid I acted, she wouldn't _leave_ me. Oh, she might stomp off in a huff, but her love, and her friendship, were always with me. I couldn't escape them if I tried. And I finally understood that her love is stronger and truer than anything I had known before, and that her heart is big enough to love _you_ without shutting me out. She loved me, and believed in me, and taught me to like myself, just the way I am. She gave me ... everything." He took a halting step forward. "And now, even though I still think you're an arrogant little shit, and you don't deserve her any more than I did, I'm giving _you_ ... everything."

Lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly and whispered, "Be happy, Kagome," before handing her to Hiei. "You'd better take care of her."

"I will," he told him solemnly. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you into the Reikai. Maybe they could still heal you."

Inuyasha laughed. "I'll be going there my own way. Kikyou is waiting for me. She's been waiting a long time." He stepped back.

"What did you wish?"

The hanyou grinned again, his fangs glinting white. "I wished for Kagome's lifespan to match yours. She's really yours forever." He stared at the Goshinboku for a minute and then looked up into the night sky at the single star that was clearly visible and shining twice as brightly as any other. "She wanted to be here with you tonight. She said it's a special night for human couples in this time. You're supposed to spend it with the one you love. Christmas Eve, I think she called it. I'm glad I made it here in time." His body started fading away. "I never ... I never told her. I couldn't say the words. Will you tell her that I ... love her, too?"

Hiei nodded and hugged her to him, closing his eyes momentarily as he breathed in her scent and nuzzled in her hair, relieved to have her safe and _home_. When he opened his eyes, he dipped his head in a slight bow to the vanishing figure while still holding tightly to the girl in his arms. "Arigatou, for ... _everything_."

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	3. Chapter 3 Something Special

DISCLAIMER:

"I'll have a blue Christmas without you, ("InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho"),

I'll be so blue just thinking about you,

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me. (Hiei)

And when those blue snowflakes start falling,

That's when those blue memories start calling,

You'll be doing all right, (Takahashi-san and Togashi-san),

With your Christmas of white, (and all of the rights to your characters and series),

But I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas." (Because they're not mine. -sigh-)

-words and music to "Blue Christmas" by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson

-hauntingly timeless vocals by the amazing Elvis

-dreams of Hiei x Kagome goodness by the ever-wistful madmiko

Kisses: Mistletoe or No

(_thoughts to self_)

"Something Special"

(_It just had to start raining, didn't it? As if it isn't bad enough racing through the Makai at night, on Christmas Eve, in search of a kidnapped little boy. I just hope he's all right._) Kagome gripped Shippou's shoulders tighter as he ran nimbly across the frozen ground that was rapidly turning to slush with the falling rain.

"Hiei says they're just over this hill," Kurama told them, as he ran alongside Shippou. "There's a lot of them."

"Good, because I'm in the mood to do some major ass-whooping," Yusuke growled. "I laid out big bucks for those dinner reservations for me and Keiko tonight, and that damn toddler took my place and is having a fine meal at my expense, -- with _my_ girl, -- while I'm freezing my ass off running through the Makai."

"You weren't the only one with big plans tonight, you know, Yusuke," Shippou told him, glancing over his shoulder at Kagome.

She ducked her head so he couldn't see the blush spread over her cheeks. He still had a real talent for teasing and embarrassing her. (_Darn it, Shippou. Please don't make a big deal out of it. It took me __**so**__ long to get the nerve up to ask Hiei to have dinner with me, and he probably doesn't even know that this is a special night for couples. At least he didn't hear him._)

"Well, detective," came a familiar voice from right behind her, "how shall we handle this?"

(_Crap! I wish he wouldn't __**do**__ that, -- always appearing out of nowhere!_) But all thoughts of Hiei, and her embarrassment, and her ruined plans, just scattered in the wind as they stopped to study the sight down below them. There, gathered in a large, swamp-ridden field, were about 20 - 25 of the disgusting creatures. Bog goblins. Shippou had told them there were rumors in the Makai that they were trafficking in young ningen slaves. And in their midst were not one, but _two_ small figures, huddled together for warmth and crying in fear of the creatures surrounding them.

Just then, one of the goblins snatched up one of the children and slapped him sharply across the face, snarling for him to shut up.

"Don't you DARE touch him, you dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking bastard!" And a glowing pink arrow whistled through the air and lodged itself in the creature's throat, causing him to crumple into a pile of ashes.

"Heh! Does that answer your question?" Yusuke grinned at Hiei before powering up the Rei Gun and taking out three of the goblins with one shot.

Two more arrows hit their targets, and then the group of Reikai Tantei took off down the hill. Most of the remaining goblins rushed at them, but two of them grabbed up the children and started running in the opposite direction.

"Shippou! The kids!"

"Don't worry, Kagome. They can't get away from _me_," the kitsune assured her.

Making sure she was securely on his back, he skirted the edge of the fighting and went after them. As he drew closer, one of the goblins panicked and dropped the child he had been carrying, so he could escape faster. It was a young frog youkai. Kagome hopped off of Shippou's back to make sure the little boy wasn't hurt, while Shippou continued to chase the other goblin. He managed to force the goblin to double back towards Kagome, and she moved the small male behind her and then drew her bow and notched an arrow. There was no way she could shoot, though, without risking hitting the boy the goblin was carrying.

"Put him down!" she demanded.

Seeing the angry ningen female in front of him with one of those deadly arrows pointed his way, and knowing the kitsune was right on his heels, the goblin stopped. Beyond Kagome, he could see that his comrades were rapidly losing their little battle. How was he going to get away?

"If you want the brat, go get him," he snarled, as he hurled the child into a nearby swamp.

"No!" Kagome yelled, watching the little boy immediately sink out of sight. "Shippou, guard this one!" And dropping her bow and arrow, she ran and dived straight into the murky waters. She surfaced once, catching just a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of what looked like Hiei and Shippou arguing, before diving down again, and that time when she came up, she had the little boy in her arms. Making her way to land, Kurama stepped out into the swamp to help her out.

As soon as she was on solid ground, she quickly lay the boy on his side and patted and rubbed his back gently while he coughed and sputtered up water. Shrugging out of her heavy, sodden jacket, she picked him up and rocked him to soothe his frightened crying. Shippou sat down next to her with the little frog boy, and she reached out to pull him into her lap, too, cooing to them softly. When both boys had calmed, she checked them for injuries.

"You worried our teammates for a minute there," Shippou told her, "but I knew you'd get him, and I told them you were a strong swimmer."

Kurama smiled, "We didn't realize we had _two_ Yusukes on the team."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" the toushin yelled.

Healing up some nasty-looking claw marks from both boys' arms and backs, Kagome muttered, "Well, I wish I had his Rei Gun because I'd shoot it straight up that goblin's a--, uh, butt, for doing that. And look at all these wounds! Da --, er, dang goblins."

"Well, he got _his_. When I convinced Hiei you would be all right, he went after that last one," Shippou pointed to a body not too far away. Then he helped her stand up as she held onto both boys, -- one wrapped around each hip.

She shivered in the cold as water continued to trickle down her back from her hair. "How are we going to find out where _this_ little fellow lives?" she looked down at the little youkai, who had already fallen asleep on her shoulder.

"We'll have to see if Koenma can find out. And you need to dry out and warm up, too, -- your headlights are on high beam," Yusuke commented with a slightly perverted grin, as he stared at her chest through her now see-through white shirt.

Giving him a dirty look, even as the color rose in her cheeks, she turned away from them. Glaring at the toushin, Hiei took off his cloak and wrapped it around her and the two little boys. Blushing even more, Kagome quietly thanked him. He stared at her intently for a moment, then turned back to the others. "I thought you were in a hurry to return to the Ningenkai, detective."

"Right!" And he quickly contacted Botan. Soon, a portal appeared, and Botan came through to tell them where the frog youkai belonged. She opened a second portal to take them directly there. Before walking through it, Kagome went over to the body of the goblin and gave it a swift kick. The four males with her all looked at each other and winced. "Oh, man. that's harsh," Yusuke whistled. "Imagine being purified by a kick to the balls. He'll be glad he was already dead."

It didn't take them long to locate the little youkai's family. When Kagome went to hand him over to his mother, he woke and hugged her neck, saying, "Pretty ningen."

Laughing softly, she told him, "You're safe now," and nuzzled his cheek a bit. "Just don't wander away too far from home, okay?" He nodded at her as his parents thanked them for his safe return.

Then they had Botan take them back into the Ningenkai, where they quickly made their way to the little boy's house. When they got there, Kagome hugged him and warned him to be more careful, too, before handing him over to Hiei. He had to erase the boy's memories and then would make sure his parents found him. "I like you," the child told her, looking over Hiei's shoulder and waving.

As they waited for Hiei to return, Shippou laughed and reached out to remove some green slime from Kagome's hair. "This sure wasn't how you planned to spend Christmas Eve, was it? It's a shame, too. That was quite a slinky little dress you had laying out. You were hoping to dazzle a certain hiyoukai, huh?"

"Shippou," she groaned. Her face was scarlet as Yusuke and Kurama both looked at her curiously. "All right. Hai, I was hoping to get his attention, and maybe finally get him to _look_ at me as more than just a teammate."

"Onna," came a voice from right behind her, causing her to gasp, "if you were any more dazzling, I'd be blind." Turning her around to face him, Hiei took both of her hands in his. "Kagome, I want you to bear my children," he told her, as he pulled her to him and covered her lips with his.

(_No way! That's Miroku's line!_) "Hiei, you can't just say something like that, ..." Shippou started to lecture him.

"Hai," Kagome said, as soon as their lips parted.

"What?!!?" (_It never worked like that for Miroku._) "Wait just a minute here. Don't you think you should try courting her first?" Shippou asked.

Still holding her close and nuzzling in her hair, Hiei raised a brow at him. "Hn. I've already had two little males no more four-years-old steal my thunder with their open appreciation for her. Ningen males like the detective there might have difficulties recognizing and acting on their feelings, and kitsune like you and Kurama might like to play around because you're afraid there might be something better that you haven't seen yet, but _I _know something special when I see it." Pulling away just a bit so he could look at her, he told her, "You've had my attention from the moment we met, -- I've just been waiting for _you_ to give me a sign. It was a relief when you asked me to have dinner with you tonight. But I really do not want to wait any longer. Seeing you jump into that swamp without any hesitation, and the way you cared for _both_ of those boys tonight, -- the ningen _and _the youkai, -- just confirmed my thoughts and feelings about you. You are the one for me." He picked her up to go.

Kagome giggled. "I agonized over asking you out for the longest time, and then when I did, I spent all week looking for the perfect dress. I could have saved myself a lot of anxiety if I'd just jumped in a swamp months ago."

The corners of Hiei's mouth twitched.

"So, I guess this means you want me to stay over at Kurama's tonight," Shippou grinned slyly.

"Stay where you want. I'm taking her to her new home. And I'll expect you all to handle any of Koenma's little emergencies for a while," Hiei told him bluntly. And they disappeared in a blur of black.

Yusuke was still sputtering, "Hey! What did he mean about ningen like me having trouble recognizing our feelings?"

Kurama and Shippou just stared at him.

Much later that night, Hiei looked at the woman sleeping in his arms. He had known what he wanted, but he had been waiting for her to decide about her own feelings. He had considered making his intentions known sooner, but he knew she was worth waiting for, and he didn't want her to have any doubts. When she had jumped into that swamp, he had suddenly realized that her heart didn't hesitate, and that her invitation to dinner was all the indication he needed. And seeing her with those boys just sealed the deal, -- he couldn't have stayed his hand any longer if he tried. An onna who loves and cares so freely is a treasure to be cherished. That's why when he erased the little ningen boy's memories of being kidnapped and taken into the Makai, he had left him the image of her face and the faint memory of the warmth of her arms. That way, when he grew up, he'd be able to recognize something special when he saw it, too.

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Okay, so that wasn't just a drabble. I'm hopeless. But I'll keep trying, -- eventually I'll get it right. And one-shots aren't a bad thing, either. (Especially when they're Hiei x Kag. ) Let the fluff and stuff continue!


	4. Chapter 4 Just a Kiss

DISCLAIMER:

"All I want for Christmas is my two favorite series,

My two favorite series,

See my two favorite series!

Gee, if I could only have my two favorite series,

Then I could wish you Merry Christmas!"

Unfortunately, Takahashi-san and Togashi-san still own all the rights to

"InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho."

So, I guess I'll wish you "Happy Holidays," instead.

(My apologies to Don Gardner for paraphrasing his song,

"All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth."

AN: Before anyone faints, let me warn you, -- this one isn't Hiei x Kagome. **_I KNOW!!! _**It's like walking into the twilight zone. The name at the top _was_ madmiko, wasn't it? Well, all I can say is, if Hiei isn't getting her, then he isn't IN the story.

_ Sardave_, this one's for you!

Kisses: Mistletoe or No

"Just a Kiss"

Kagome looked up into eyes the color of molten gold. As beautiful as she thought Inuyasha's eyes were, these were even more captivating. Instead of mistrust, anger, and frustration, she could see wisdom, confidence, and humor swirling in them. She shook her head slightly to break the spell she could feel herself falling under. Sango had warned her about grown kitsune and their ability to feed off of the energy and emotions of others, and to mesmerize and seduce to get what they want. And Miroku had told her about this particular kitsune's reputation as a thief. He had been following their little group for weeks, always just beyond their senses, but somehow, they knew he was there. It had been driving Inuyasha nuts. Shippou was the only one who had seen him, and he had told the small youkai they had something he wanted.

"Please don't hurt my friends," she pleaded with him.

"As long as the hanyou stays still where I left him and doesn't do anything stupid, he won't come to any harm," a deep, velvety smooth voice answered, sending little shivers down her spine.

"Oh, no! Then he's in trouble!" she cried.

A rich, hearty chuckle met her ears. "Don't worry, little one. Even if he should be foolish enough to fight his way out of my vines and plunge 40 feet into the clutches of my little pet, he won't suffer much. I won't let it eat him. It will merely ... detain him. And I don't believe the monk or the slayer will be able to free themselves. As for the little kit, he is sleeping comfortably on a thick bed of rose petals, alongside the nekomata."

"Oh, ... then, arigatou gozaimasu. But I can't give you the shards. It's my duty to guard them and gather them to complete the Shikon no Tama, and to keep it purified and safe," she said nervously, glancing around to see how she could escape and get back to her friends.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "What makes you think I want the shards of a shattered jewel? Perhaps once you have it all together again, ..."

She stared at him in confusion. "Then what do you want?"

Gently running a finger across her cheek, he traced her lips with his fingertip, careful not to scratch her with his claw. "Something ... simple, yet worth more than any gem."

Cupping her chin in his hand, he looked up above her and she did the same. There, dangling over her head, was a small bough of greenery with white berries. "Mistletoe?" Then her eyes widened, "It's almost Christmas. I'd forgotten."

He looked at her curiously. "You recognize this parasitic little plant? Do you know of the traditions associated with it in other cultures, like the Greeks?"

She nodded.

The corners of his lips curved up in a genuine smile and Kagome found she couldn't take her eyes off of his mouth. "You are even more unique than I thought." Then he very slowly lowered his head towards her until their lips met.

She had no idea what to expect, and she found herself melting against him as his lips gently caressed hers. He touched and tasted every part of them, before sliding his tongue between them to explore her further. The feeling was electric and Kagome fisted her hands in his tunic. He held her firmly as he encouraged her tongue to play and explore, too. Then, he eased the passionate embrace until it became almost unbearably tender. When he finally lifted his head to look at her, he smiled at the dazed expression on her face.

"I am releasing your friends now. They will be here in a few moments," he told her.

She stared at him, and then reached for the shards around her neck. They were still there. "You mean ... you really don't want the shards?"

He chuckled again. "Did you not believe me?"

"You just wanted to kiss me?" she asked, her disbelief plain in her voice.

Reaching out to run a hand through her hair alongside her face, he said, "I will confess, I sought you out because I had heard of the Shikon no Tama, and then I was intrigued by your strange group. But I have hundreds of jewels more beautiful than those shards, and I have no use or desire for false power. However, I did see something in your group that I wanted very much."

Taking her hand, he led her over to the edge of a small pond. "Look at what I see. Thick, rich hair the color of ink, that flows like a waterfall of midnight. Sparkling blue eyes that rival the most perfect sapphires. Skin that is as clear and delicate-looking as porcelain, and as smooth and beautiful as the finest ivory silk. And lips the color of my most beautiful roses, with the sweetness of ambrosia. And hidden away underneath it all, a heart of the purest gold that allows a ningen to befriend and care for a bitter demon slayer, a perverted monk, an angry hanyou, and an orphaned kitsune kit." He turned her so she was facing him. "I am a thief, -- sometimes called the king of thieves. I am only interested in the most valuable and highly-coveted of treasures. And that is why I could not resist stealing ... a kiss." And he brushed his lips against hers once more before stepping back. "Perhaps, when you have completed the jewel, I will return."

"To steal it?"

"No, little one. I told you I am only interested in the greatest of treasures. When you see me again, I will be after your heart." And he disappeared into the trees.

When Inuyasha and the others found her, she was still standing there, staring after him with a small smile on her face.

"Are you all right? Where is that bastard? Did he take the shards?" Inuyasha demanded.

"No, he didn't. I'm fine," she said.

"He didn't try to take the shards?" Sango asked, with a puzzled and worried look on her face.

"No. He said he didn't want them," Kagome told her, continuing to stare off into the direction where he had vanished.

"My dear Kagome, Youko Kurama doesn't leave empty-handed. If he didn't want the shards, what _did_ he want?" Miroku asked slyly, with a wicked grin on his face.

"Just a ... kiss."

"A kiss? He _kissed _you?!!? I'm going to rip that bastard apart!" And as Inuyasha ranted and raved, Kagome tuned him out to relive those moments and think about what the handsome kitsune had said. He may have stolen a kiss, but he had given her so much more.

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I think my whole system is going into shock ... severe Hiei withdrawal ... must ... write more ... Hiei x Kagome ...


	5. Chapter 5 Who's Your Santa?

DISCLAIMER:

"I don't want a lot for Christmas

There's just one thing I need

I don't care about presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true ...

All I want for Christmas

Is you ..." (lyrics by Mariah Carey and W. Afanasieff)

--sigh-- But I'm not getting them. "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" will forever belong their creators, Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. But I _am_ getting Hiei and Kagome action figures!

I have never tried to write up someone else's suggestion before, but when _Taiyoukai Taika-sama _requested a drabble with Kagome taking Souta to see Santa, and Hiei getting jealous when she sits on his lap, I thought I might just be able to pull it off. I don't know if this is quite what you had in mind, but I hope it's okay, -- it's longer than a drabble, and it took a strangely naughty turn at the end. (I think that subconsciously, I had to reinforce Hiei's claim after writing a Youko/Kag one. LOL!!)

Kisses: Mistletoe or No

"Who's your Santa?"

"Tell me again why we are going to a place so overrun with ningen?" Hiei demanded.

"I already told you my friends asked me to meet them here," Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "They said they have a surprise for me, and to bring Souta along."

"I don't like those three females. They are annoying," he scowled.

"Hiei doesn't like them because they said he's too short for you," Souta whispered.

Kagome giggled. "They only said that because he scared them so bad they nearly peed their pants when they tried to set me up on a date with Hojo. They'd never heard anyone growl like that before. But that was a long time ago, -- we weren't even mated then."

"Yeah, but they've been away at University. Did you tell them you're getting married?' her brother asked.

"No, I wanted to tell them in person."

A wicked grin suddenly lit up Hiei's face. "_I'll_ tell them."

"Kagome! Over here! Hurry!" Eri called.

"It's so good to see you!" Kagome said, hugging each of her friends.

"You, too! But we should hurry in, -- we can talk as we wait in line," Ayumi told her, pulling her into one of the busiest stores on the street.

"Come on, Souta," Yuka grabbed his hand and pulled along behind her. "You're going to love this."

"Hn. I am not going in _there_," Hiei announced, getting the attention of the three girls and Kagome.

"Oh, Hiei, come on," Kagome urged him.

"No."

"That's okay," Eri said. "He can stay out there. But we're probably going to be in here a while, -- the line is really long. He might want to go on home."

Frowning at her, he said, "I'll wait."

After an hour had passed, though, he got tired of waiting and was ready to take Kagome home. So, he shoved his way into the store. In the whole time he'd been there, the line had not abated. He had to admit, he was just a little curious about what all these ningen were waiting _for_. But when he finally spotted Kagome, he wasn't curious anymore, -- he was _furious_!

Striding forward at an angry pace and elbowing people out of his way, he stopped right in front of her. "What the hell is going on?!!?" he bellowed. He glared at her, and then at the male whose lap she was sitting on. (_Oh, __**HELL **__NO!_) "YOU!! Get your hands off of my onna!" He grabbed her up. "If I ever see you around her again, I'm going to rip off that beard and shove it down your throat. Then I'll ..."

"Hiei! Stop! He's supposed to be Santa Claus," Kagome tried to calm him down. She could see the security guards running towards them.

"I don't care _who_ he's supposed to be! You're _my_ onna, -- _I'm _the one who loves and protects you, -- _I'm_ the one who's marrying you next week, -- and I'll be damned if I'm going to watch you sit on someone other male's lap. If you want to sit on someone's lap, we'll go home and you can sit on _mine!_"

"All right! Fine! Let's go home and I'll sit on _your_ lap!" she yelled.

The people all around them began applauding, and Kagome's face turned beet red. The crowd parted to give Hiei room to carry her out.

"Uh, ... we'll take Souta home, Kagome," Yuka said.

She just nodded her thanks and buried her face in Hiei's shoulder. How could she let him get her so riled up that she forgot where they were? She was never shopping here again.

As they left, she overheard some of the people talking. "This is a very good store. Not only do they have the only Santa Claus in town, but they stage a play to entertain us while we wait."

"Hai. And it was a very interesting one, too. I did not know that Santa Claus was involved in a love triangle."

"Sorry about that, Hojo," Eri apologized to the white-faced Santa. "We didn't know she was still seeing him."

After they reached their apartment, Hiei sat down with her in his lap and she explained that in some countries, it was a tradition of sorts for people to dress up like Santa Claus so children could sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

"_You_ are not a child, and _that_ was the same male who used to sniff around you all the time," he pointed out through gritted teeth.

"I know," she said softly, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Gomen, Hiei. The girls knew Hojo was working as Santa Claus there and they wanted to surprise me. They thought Souta would enjoy it. Then, just for fun, we each took a turn telling 'Santa' what we want, too. We were just being silly."

"Hn," he grumbled as she nibbled on his ear. "What did you tell him you want?"

"I didn't get a chance to. But it's just as well. I couldn't have told him what I _really_ want, anyway," she grinned.

"And what's that?"

He raised a brow when she whispered in his ear. "I think that can be arranged."

Kagome broke out in giggles when Hiei came out of the bath later, wearing nothing but a Santa hat. He swept her up in his arms and sat down on the edge of the bed, arranging her so she was straddling his lap. Kissing his way down the side of her neck, he asked, "Was this what you had in mind?"

Closing her eyes and shivering just a bit when he pressed her against him, she bit her bottom lip. "Uh-hunmmm."

"And have you been a good girl?" He started unbuttoning her blouse.

"Hai," she breathed.

"Do I get what I want, too?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "What do you want?"

With a gleam in his eyes, he reached over to the nightstand for the sack that had held the Santa hat he had bought, and handed it to her. She smiled back at him when she looked inside. When she returned from the bath a few minutes later, she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I don't have to ask if you've been a bad boy."

And both of them, in their Santa hats, got what they wanted.

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Okay, for some strange reason, that last line makes me feel like Peter Falk, as the Grandad, telling the story of the Princess Bride. I hope all of you get what you want for Christmas, too!!


	6. Chapter 6 Chocolate

DISCLAIMER: I love "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho," but I do not own or profit from writing fanfiction using their characters or worlds because I didn't create them. Give all the love and credit to Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. And chocolate. _Lots_ of honmei chocolate.

"Chocolate"

As Kurama walked along with Hiei, he hid a smile as he glanced at the scowl on the other man's face. "If you don't want to go with her, you could have said no. She would have met up with you in the Reikai later."

"And let her go see _them_, to give them chocolate, all by herself?" the apparition scoffed. "That would like be like handing her over to them on a platter. Any one of them could take a notion to take off with her and try to keep her. You know what happened last year."

"Well, to be fair, from what she said, she didn't explain the tradition very well to Prince Kouga and he thought she was proposing," the avatar pointed out.

"Exactly. And this year, now that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha have come to an agreement as brothers, in the past, she is taking some for _him_, too. If he misunderstands her gesture, I might have a little trouble retrieving her from him," Hiei grumbled.

Kurama chuckled a bit. "Don't take this the wrong way, Hiei, but I don't think she's Lord Sesshoumaru's type."

Hiei glared up at him. "Don't be ridiculous. She's _everyone's_ type. Anyone with half a brain would jump at the chance to snatch her up. And they frequently do."

Kurama couldn't dispute that, especially considering just two weeks ago, while they were in the Reikai meeting with Koenma, the Greek god Eros had been visiting and tried to take her home with him. He covered his mouth and coughed to hide another smile. It irked Hiei no end that the woman he had fallen in love with, -- or _chosen_, as Hiei would say, -- was so friendly and popular. If he had his way, he'd probably just lock her up in a tower somewhere and keep her all to himself. The little fire demon didn't like to share. And he had been grumbling about Valentine's Day for the past week. He didn't like the idea of her giving chocolate to other males.

The avatar suspected the only reason he was tolerating it at all was because last year she had made him a huge chocolate heart and he said she had a real talent for chocolate-making. He was expecting even _more_ this year, since they had recently passed the courtship phase and become lovers. They would already be mated, but her mother had asked them to wait until Spring to have a wedding at the shrine at the most auspicious time and Kagome thought it would be meaningful to do the youkai bonding after they wed in the ningen tradition. Hiei had surprised him by agreeing to wait. That showed just how far gone the little demon really was.

When they reached the shrine, Kagome greeted them brightly. "Are you coming with us, Kurama?"

"No, he isn't," Hiei answered. "There will be no confusion as to who you belong to."

Kagome giggled and patted his cheek. "My, aren't you grumpy? Are you sure you wouldn't rather get some sleep while I go to the Feudal Era? You all were gone all night after those lizards, weren't you?"

"Hn. Not that it matters, since you were _here_ last night, visiting your mother. And you are _not_ going there by yourself."

"I think I will go say hello to your mother, Kagome," Kurama excused himself with a smile. "I'll see you in the Reikai this afternoon."

"Okay," she waved as she grabbed Hiei's hand and pulled him over to the well house. There were two bags sitting at the door there. It looked like Hiei would be busy shuttling her all over Feudal Japan.

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It was mid-afternoon before Hiei and Kagome walked into Koenma's office. The other Spirit Detectives were all there, and Kagome went up to each one and presented him with a box of giri choco with a sincere "thank you," while Hiei frowned at all of them.

"That's a big sack you have there, Kagome. Do you have more chocolates to deliver?" Kuwabara asked.

"Oh, yes! I need to go into the Makai now. There's Chuu, Rinku, Jin, Touya, Shishi, Yomi, and then of course, Inuyasha, Shippou, Kouga, ..."

"Onna! What the hell are you talking about? We just spent all morning delivering chocolate to those bastards!"

"But, Hiei, that was 500 years ago," she said earnestly.

Yusuke and Kuwabara burst out laughing while Hiei just stared disbelievingly at her. "You should get going then. It sounds like you will be busy all afternoon," Kurama couldn't resist saying.

As the couple stepped through a portal, they all heard Hiei hiss, "There had better be a damn big chocolate heart back at our house when we get home."

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That evening, when they finally got back, Kagome handed Hiei a package.

"What is this?"

"A gift. Happy Valentine's Day, Hiei," she said as she kissed his cheek.

He opened it and found a new set of bedsheets. They were red. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind, "Where is my chocolate, onna?"

She kissed him again lightly and headed into the bedroom. "I didn't make you a chocolate heart this year."

He stared after her. He had spent the _whole day_ taking her all over Japan, both past and present, including the demon and spirit planes, to deliver chocolate to a bunch of slobbering idiots who would just as soon bash his head in and steal his onna, and she didn't make him any chocolate?!!?

"What do you mean you didn't make me any chocolate?" He stomped into the bedroom after her.

"Oh, I made chocolate, -- I just didn't make a chocolate _heart_," she smiled.

In their room, she was sitting on their bed, already naked, dipping a finger into a bowl that was sitting over a large candle. There were three big bowls in all, -- all being kept warm by candles. Licking her finger, she said, "You should have seen Keiko's face when I asked her to come over and get the chocolate out of the refrigerator and set it up in here in time for it to warm up and melt before we got back."

With a gleam in his eyes, he asked, "Is that all of it?"

"There are three more bowls sitting out on the counter."

"Good."

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The next day, Botan and the other detectives came by bright and early to bring them with them to the Reikai. Koenma had a new assignment he wanted them to get started on right away. As they stepped through the portal into Koenma's office, Yusuke was teasing Kurama about all of the honmei choco the avatar had received the day before. "Of course, it doesn't compare to the honmei choco Kagome made for Hiei," he grinned wickedly.

Kurama raised a brow at him curiously as he saw Kagome's cheeks turn bright red. "I know Hiei was looking forward to some of her chocolate. Apparently, you have a real talent for making it, Kagome. Do you put something special in it?"

"Yes, she does," Hiei answered him with a smirk.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------End.

_I could have added more, but I thought that was as sweet a place to stop as any. __I know it's not much, but I just couldn't let Valentine's Day pass without some Hiei/Kag goodness. And because I love you all, if my son finishes his report in a couple of hours and I get the computer back, I'm hoping to actually get the next chapter of "BWM" (chapter 14) up sometime tonight. I wish you much love and chocolate!_


	7. Chapter 7 Manipulation

DISCLAIMER: I own tons of books, action figures of Hiei and Kagome, and the ability to make teenage boys hang their heads and say, "Yes, ma'am." (Don't be perverted! Geesh! You guys!) I created tons of clutter, 4 kids, and some credit card debt. I get paid to make college kids curse and pull all-nighters to write up 25-page research papers, using primary source materials, that they've had 2 months to do, but never started, -- _and_ I am still young enough to check online to find out where they plagiarized their work from. But, "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" and their revenues are simply beyond me and my capabilities. They belong to Takahashi-san and Togashi-san.

"Manipulation"

Kurama and Yusuke were sitting in Kagome and Hiei's living room when Kagome bounced in with a smile and a greeting. Walking over to where Hiei was standing, she touched his arm and said, "That was Eri on the phone. She and the girls want to take me out to lunch and to do some shopping."

"No."

"No? What do you mean 'no?' There's nothing dangerous about shopping," she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Hn. You have been tired lately and are still sick every morning. What will you do if you start to feel ill? Not one of those onnas has the brains of a stick," he frowned back at her.

Stifling a giggle, Kagome defended her friends, "They're not stupid. And it's just common sense that if I got sick, they would bring me home."

"Don't try to convince me of their intelligence or common sense. Those are the same three females who gave that idiot your new phone number so he could ask you out."

She covered her mouth, but couldn't contain her laughter this time. "That was over a year ago, and I haven't seen or heard from Hojo since then. Just what did you say to him when you answered the phone, anyway?"

Ignoring her question, he said, "You're not going."

"If I feel sick, I'll sit down and call you, okay?" she said, trying to be reasonable.

"No."

Exchanging amused glances, the other two Spirit Detectives settled in to watch the fireworks. They had been privy to battles of will between these two before. They were always entertaining. But instead of turning red in the face and turning things up a notch by raising her voice like she usually did, Kagome surprised them by taking a different approach.

Putting her hands on Hiei's shoulders, she snuggled up to his chest and kissed his cheek. "Hi-ei," she said in a sing-song tone, "don't be like that." She planted a trail of soft kisses along his jaw. "Nothing bad is going to happen, and it would make me really happy to get together with them for a few hours." Getting no response, she massaged his shoulders as she nuzzled his neck a bit. Then she nibbled on his earlobe before lowering her voice to a seductive pitch as she whispered, "Tonight, I'll even ..."

Yusuke leaned forward in an attempt to hear what sort of promises she was making. Kurama was tempted to do the same, but forced himself to sit still.

Still not moving an inch, the apparition merely stared at her intently. "In the red one."

Smiling, she nodded. Sliding one hand up to the nape of his neck, she caressed his lips with hers in a lingering kiss. Placing another gentle kiss on his cheek, she went over to the table and picked up her purse.

"If you are not back by dinnertime, ..."

"I will be," she interrupted him with a bright smile. "You guys have fun," she gave the other two a triumphant wink as she left.

Hiei stared at the door for a minute and then walked over to an overstuffed chair and sat down.

"I never would have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," Yusuke exclaimed with a laugh. "The fierce, unyielding Hiei -- pussywhipped! She wrapped you around her little finger with a few kisses and sex favors."

Kurama didn't say anything as he watched Hiei lean back in his chair and cross his hands behind his head.

"Yusuke," the little demon drawled, "why would I object to her going shopping with her friends?"

The toushin stopped laughing and looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. "You said she might get sick and her friends are too stupid to take care of her and get her home safely."

"While her friends are certainly lacking in brains, Kagome is not. She would know to call me," Hiei replied easily.

"So, ... you didn't care if she went?" Realization dawned on Yusuke's face. "Son-of-a-bitch."

"Exactly," Hiei said with a smirk. "She gets to do something she wants to that will make her happy, and then she gets to do something that will make _me_ happy. Plus, she's been wanting to look at things for the baby and I have no desire to endure that throng of ningen that is constantly at the stores."

"_And_," Kurama added, "since she got her way _this_ time, she will most likely give in the next time you two disagree, ne?"

"Damn! You're a fucking genius, Hiei!"

As Yusuke continued to go on about how he had to try this with Keiko, Kurama inclined his head in salute to his friend. Really, he should have been born a kitsune.

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A/N Yeah, I know it's not much, but I'm still trying to get a handle on the art of the drabble. I think this one fits that description much better than the others so far, even if the actual scene was nothing to write home about. (sigh) I will continue to try, though, and I appreciate you all suffering through my efforts. You're good people. :)


	8. Chapter 8 Kiss and Tell

DISCLAIMER: The characters and worlds of "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" don't belong to me, nor do they bring me any profit. They belong to Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. The characters and world of "Madmiko's Household" _were_ created by me, except for the really tall, oblivious male one and the short, wrinkly, 4-legged one, and I've got the legal papers for both of _them_.

Kisses: Mistletoe or No

"Kiss and Tell"

Rolling to his side, Hiei wrapped his arms around Kagome and settled her in close against him. As he listened to her still-rapid breathing, he smirked to himself and stroked the sweat-dampened skin of her back. Burying his face in her hair for a minute, he slowly began to kiss his way along her jawline, but he stopped when he felt her smile and then heard her giggle.

"What?" he asked quietly.

"I was just thinking that none of the girls would ever believe you're such a cuddler. They'd be so jealous if I told them, they'd turn green with envy," she answered.

Propping himself up on one elbow, he frowned down at her. "Don't be ridiculous. I would hope you wouldn't tell such flagrant lies to your friends. I do NOT _cuddle_." With a slightly irritated huff, he lay back down and wrapped himself around her again, this time throwing a leg over both of hers.

She giggled again. "Um, Hiei? What _are_ you doing if this isn't cuddling?"

"Holding onto what's mine."

After a minute, he felt her snake a hand in between them and grasp his manhood firmly, while at the same time her other hand squeezed his right buttcheek.

"What are _you_ doing?" he asked, arching a brow at her.

"Same thing."

That was fair. Breathing in her sweet scent, he smirked to himself. Kurama and Yusuke _had_ turned green with envy when he had told them what _she_ did last night.


	9. Chapter 9 With That First Kiss

DISCLAIMER: The characters and worlds of "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" belong to their creators, Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. But as soon as they read my fic, they will realize they need to be combined and will give them to me so I can have my wicked way with them.

No drabble here, -- full-fledged one-shot.

(_thoughts_)

With That First Kiss

Opening the front of his mate's soft, pink yukata, Hiei breathed in her sweet scent before pulling her closer so he could press his lips to the mark on her neck that proclaimed her as his. Standing between his legs while he sat on the bed, Kagome breathed a contented sigh and let her hands slide down his bare shoulders, gently squeezing the firm muscles in his upper arms. As his lips traveled across her collarbone, she felt a familiar fluttering begin in her stomach. But a few seconds later, the fluttering turned into queasiness. "Hiei, ..." she clutched his arms as she began to feel dizzy and she slumped against him.

A low growl rumbled in her ears as he clasped her tightly in his embrace. (_What the fuck is going on?!_) The apparition could feel a disturbance in the air all around them. Rising swiftly, he swept her up in his arms, ready to make a run for it. They were being attacked by some kind of invisible force and he knew that Kagome must be feeling the same unpleasant sensations he was. He would not risk her safety in a fight, -- he was getting them the hell out of there!

But before he could move a muscle, the room began to fade away and all he could see was a blinding pink light that penetrated his flesh and bones, paralyzing him completely with a cold numbness. He couldn't even activate the Jagan to help him see. It seemed as if both the earth and time stood still, and even though it could have only been seconds, it felt like hours had passed before the light began to dim and feeling returned to his body. Kagome stirred in his arms and he saw her shake her head, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked up at him. "The Shikon no tama," she whispered.

She moved to stand, but he wasn't letting her out of the circle of his arms. Whatever the hell was happening, he didn't like it. Not one damn bit. Releasing the Jagan and looking around, it appeared that they were encased in some kind of small, odd-shaped room with see-through walls. As he focused, he could make out a gigantic, red-and-white object outside that was making a deep, rumbling noise.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, then turned to face him with alarm written all over her face. "Hiei, we're _inside_ the Shikon no tama!" When the light had flared and seemed to flash-freeze her insides, she had recognized the power immediately. She certainly knew it well enough to recognize it, even though it had never been directed _at_ her in such a way before.

(_Well, shit._) _That_ couldn't be good. That damn jewel had brought nothing but trouble and pain to Kagome. The sound of hearty chuckling echoed around them for a few seconds, then four distinct globes of light became visible. (_The four souls_ _of the jewel_.)

They heard different voices speaking in unison, "Yes, you are inside the Shikon no tama. And although you can do nothing about it, we all agreed you have a right to know what has happened. Listen, and observe the past few moments."

The rumbling noise became distinguishable as Inuyasha's voice, and they realized he had been talking to himself. "... don't like that little bastard one damn bit, but at least she's happy now. Stupid wench, -- it took her forever to get over all the shit from our travels and then she had to go and fall in love with a sorry sawed-off excuse for a youkai with an ego and attitude to rival Sesshoumaru's and bad hair to boot. Keh, I think she breathed in too much of Naraku's miasma," he said with a snort. "Of course, it's my fault. And _yours_. Stupid little rock. Good for nothing but drawing out youkai so I can get a little exercise. Why couldn't you do something useful for a change, like sending her some rich, handsome prince to take care of her and love her the way she deserves instead of that rude little shit? Maybe if I hadn't been such an ass she'd have looked for something more. Well, it's too fucking late to do anything about it now. They've been together for almost a year now, -- she'll start popping out babies before too much longer." He let out a long sigh and stared at the jewel. "I just wish she hadn't gone through all that shit with me."

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome covered her mouth with her hand, "What did you do?!"

The four voices spoke again, "His wish has been granted."

The walls surrounding them vanished and they were left standing in a field near an old well. There was no sign of the Shikon no tama or Inuyasha. Kagome looked around in horror, not sure what to expect. They were definitely back in the Warring States era. As she clung to Hiei, she noticed that though she could feel him as solidly as ever, he looked somewhat ... transparent. Looking down, she saw that she seemed to be just as incorporeal as he did. "Hiei, it's like ... like we're not really here."

But he was already studying their surroundings intently. "I am going to _kill_ that damn mutt," he muttered, " ... if I ever see him again." Then he looked into her eyes and hugged her tightly. "We're _not_ here. _We_ haven't happened yet." He refused to voice his fear that they may not _ever_ happen. Because if what he thought was about to happen _happened_, a 15-year-old Kagome was about to climb out of that damn well. And her entire history from 5 years ago was going to change. If she didn't "go through all that shit" with Inuyasha, then it was very likely _he_ was going to be the one mated to her 5 years from now. Where did that leave _him_? He couldn't imagine what his life would be like without her.

--

Two years ago, Koenma had sent the Spirit Detectives to retrieve one Higurashi Kagome from a shrine in Tokyo to report on her connection to the Shikon no tama and her adventures in the past. When they brought her to him, she told them her story. Koenma had been furious when she told him the jewel was currently in the hands of the inu hanyou, back in the past. She had given it to him, believing he was the one who deserved to make a wish. He had decided to hold on to it for a while because he had no idea what to wish for.

Koenma sputtered and yelled, ranted and raved, bullied and threatened, and through it all, the 18-year-old young woman just stood there. Then she got right in the demi-god's face, poked her finger into his chest and told him it was none of his concern. _She_ was the rightful guardian of the jewel and if she thought it was safest with the hanyou, then that's where it would stay. She said that Inuyasha would be visiting her from time to time and that she would make sure the jewel stayed purified until he chose to use it. Then she said he had better return her to the shrine because she was supposed to help her mother fix the evening meal.

Hiei had actually blinked at the girl's audacity and the way she had apparently simply gone on with her life as if there was nothing unusual about traveling back and forth in time for 3 years to fight evil youkai. From her manner, it was obvious she had merely taken it all in stride. And she was not in the least bit cowed by Koenma's threats. She was a most unusual ningen.

Since locking her up wouldn't get him the jewel, Koenma had to let her go. But he had ordered them to keep an eye on her and to take the jewel from the hanyou when he appeared. Hiei had taken his turn with the others, watching her night and day. And he liked what he saw. It wasn't her beauty that caught his attention, though he supposed she was attractive enough, and it wasn't her power, either, though she must have some to have survived what she had. No, what he liked was her attitude.

He watched her with her family, and with her friends, and when she was alone. She was ... content. Not the ignorant kind of content that you see in foolish ningen everywhere, who believed the worst thing that could happen to them was not to get into the "right" school, or to lose their job or their flavor-of-the-week love interest. No, she was content in a way that had been tested by trials and hardships, -- in a way that proved she was confident in herself and had faith in those around her, in spite of the fact that her eyes were wide open to the true dangers that lurked in the shadows. She wasn't arrogant or conceited, either. And it wasn't that she believed everything would work out the way she wanted it to every time, but that she could deal with any situation, any circumstance, and make it through. She simply _knew_ that she could handle whatever came her way. That kind of confidence was appealing. And soon, _he_ made it a point to come her way. Often. But there had been one big obstacle in his path: Inuyasha. Her hanyou friend was confident in himself, too, but it was not in the least bit appealing. He swaggered, he bellowed, and he made Hiei's life very unpleasant on a regular basis.

The first time Inuyasha came through the well, Yusuke had been on watch. The battle that ensued as the toushin tried to take the jewel from him demolished half of Kagome's house and resulted in Yususke and Kuwabara being ordered to help re-build it while the Reikai footed the bill. Koenma had not counted on Lord Sesshoumaru showing up and supporting his half-brother's claim to the jewel. From what Kagome had said, he sounded like a coincidental ally, -- not really working _with_ them, but simply wanting to destroy Naraku for his own reasons. But he did not want to see the Shikon no tama end up in the wrong hands again and apparently he had confidence in Inuyasha's ability to protect it, -- more confidence than in the Reikai vaults, anyway, which just proves he _is_ as intelligent as his reputation makes him out to be.

Hiei had gone to the shrine to watch his partners engage in manual labor and had enjoyed himself immensely as they smashed their thumbs with hammers and 'accidentally' hit each other in the head with planks of wood. Inuyasha was another reluctant worker there and he seemed to break as many things as he fixed. Really, the whole thing was very amusing, -- until Kagome caught sight of him lounging in a nearby tree.

"And just who do you think _you_ are? Get your lazy butt down here and help them," she demanded.

He might think she was unusual and interesting, and he might even admire her inner contentment and attitude, but that didn't mean he was going to let her mouth off to him. Landing directly in front of her, his eyes flashed in warning. "Onna, I don't take orders from _anyone_, and I'm not lifting a finger to help these morons."

"Oh yes, you are," she poked him in the chest with her finger. "You are every bit as responsible as they are for this mess. And don't try to excuse yourself by saying you weren't even here, -- you know as well as I do that the same thing would have happened if it had been _your_ day to spy on me. You've been here as often as they have. And my name is Kagome," she added with another poke.

Catching her finger in his hand, he leaned in and smirked at her, causing her to blush. "You're wrong, _Kagome_, -- if it had been _my_ day to spy on you, I would have recovered the jewel."

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her finger out of Hiei's grasp and then stepped in between them. "You think you can do any better than them, you're welcome to try, runt."

"Oh no, you don't! You've done enough damage already, Inuyasha! And it's all settled now, thanks to your brother," she reminded him.

"_Half_- brother."

"Whatever. Get back to work. And stay on this side of the building so you don't get in the hired workers way," she told him as she adjusted the kerchief on his head. "And stop taking their supplies. You've got everything you should need over here if you'd stop breaking things."

"Bossy wench," he grumbled. But he started back to work.

She turned to Hiei then and looked at him expectantly. He was about to blow her off when he remembered the way she had blushed. She wanted to see him work? He stared back at her as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. "All right, _Kagome_, what is it you want me to do?"

Her eyes widened and the color rose in her cheeks again at the suggestiveness of his tone. Yusuke saw what he was doing and laughed. Then he took his shirt off, too. "Good idea, Hiei. It's hot work out here."

When Kuwabara grinned and stripped his shirt off, Kagome turned and quickly went inside.

"Oh crap, man! Did you see the look on her face?" Yusuke laughed.

"Hey! What the fuck are you guys doing?! You can't walk around out here half-naked!" Inuyasha yelled as he stalked back over to Hiei. "And _you_! Stay away from her."

They had glared at each other for several minutes until they heard Kagome's voice calling, "Inuyasha, if you expect some lunch, you'd better get to work."

Hiei returned to the shrine and helped out for the next two weeks. He wasn't quite sure why he was bothering, since the hanyou was even more annoying and irritating than Kuwabara. And he made sure Hiei didn't get near Kagome. The apparition was beginning to think his interest in the girl wasn't worth it.

Then, one afternoon as they were sitting under the trees across the courtyard and eating lunch, Kagome's mother brought them out some cold drinks. As she walked alongside the part of the house still under construction, a pile of wooden planks and shingles toppled off of the roof right over her head. In a flash, Hiei had whisked her out of the way, bringing her to the center of the courtyard. Everyone had jumped up, and Kagome, who had just stepped out the door carrying more drinks, dropped everything and ran over to them.

"Mama! Are you all right?!"

And although her voice was a little shaky, the older woman answered that she was fine. Then she turned to Hiei and gave him a hug. "Thank you." Then she bowed deeply.

"Yes, thank you!" Kagome also bowed deeply to him. "Thank you very much!" And before he could discern her intent, she had stepped up close to him, put her hands on his shoulders, and pressed her lips to his, ever-so-briefly. Then she had quickly turned back to her mother and putting her arm around her, led her back into the house to sit down.

After that, it didn't matter what that damned dog said or did, -- he couldn't keep him away from her even if he used that adamant barrage attack of that ridiculously overrated fang of his, -- he had tried. That's when Kagome had agreed to his courtship and threatened to remove the dog's subjugation necklace so he couldn't come to her time anymore. Inuyasha continued to get in his way, though, and it had taken him over a year to get Kagome to agree to be his mate. But in the end, he had her. And now that fucking bastard had found a way to take her away for good.

--

"Why now? What the hell set that idiot off?" he wanted to know.

"I don't think he did it on purpose, Hiei," Kagome said quietly. "He was just ... thinking out loud." She sighed. "He came to visit and had lunch with me today, remember? Well, we were reminiscing a bit and he started apologizing for letting Kikyou go so long with part of my soul. He said that if he had just put her to rest when he discovered the soul-stealers were hers, ... he thought things would have turned out differently. And he asked me if I was really happy. I told him yes, and that I was hoping you and I might ... start a family soon. He said it was about time and that I had let the past make me too cautious."

"Hn. You weren't cautious enough, -- leaving that jewel in the hands of a moron," he said testily. Seeing how upset she was, he hugged her and rubbed her back. He didn't want to blame her, but _damnit_! This was his life that was getting fucked! Inuyasha might have been strong enough to protect the jewel from other demons, but he sure couldn't protect it from his own dumbassery.

"I'm not going to apologize for giving him the jewel. It would be pointless, anyway. But, if we have not happened yet, then why are we _here_?" she asked.

That was a damn good question. The souls in the jewel said they thought they deserved to know what happened. But as soon as they did, he would have thought this consciousness of theirs would have just disappeared since they would be re-living 5 years of their lives. "Perhaps we are simply here to witness the beginning of your adventure." And the end of their life together. Looking at her standing there in her yukata, which was still gaping open, he couldn't help but wish that Inuyasha had at least waited an hour before screwing up the universe.

They both turned to the well when they heard a girl's voice yell, "Souta! You there? Go get Gramps! Now!!"

In spite of himself, Hiei couldn't help but smirk at the sight of a younger-looking Kagome struggling over the lip of the well. She was adorable with her pink cheeks and her obvious annoyance flashing blue fire in her eyes. And check out that tiny skirt! It really showed off her long legs.

"Onna, did you really go running all over Feudal Japan in _that_? It's a wonder you weren't raped."

But Kagome was barely paying attention to him, focusing instead on this vision from her past. (_Is that what I looked like back then? I was so ... young._) She didn't know whether to be entranced or embarrassed by the picture of wide-eyed naiveté in front of her. (_I had no idea what was going on, -- no idea of what I had been destined to be a part of._) It was humbling and scary, and she didn't _want_ to have to live through it all again. The fear, the anxieties, the danger, the injuries, the losses, the tears, ... _Knowing _what was going to happen was infinitely worse than taking it as it came, even though she was sure they would once again be successful.

"Grandpa? Mom?"

They followed her, still holding tight to each other, unable to do anything more than watch her confusion and her discovery.

"Oh! The old Goshinboku!" She moved quickly through the overgrown foliage to stand at the foot of the tree. But, ...

"Hiei! Inuyasha's not there!"

The tree was beautiful and magnificent, -- maybe even moreso than in their time, because it was standing in its natural element here instead of in the cleared area that composed part of the shrine grounds. It was thrumming with power and vitality. But there was no sign of an inu hanyou or even a mark that would indicate an arrow had ever been embedded in it.

Hiei's mind was racing, trying to remember Inuyasha's exact words as he had made his wish. "Shit." That stupid bastard had wished that Kagome didn't "go through all that shit" _with him_. The Shikon no tama had a wicked sense of humor and now Kagome didn't have a protector.

"Where is he?" she asked, looking at him in confusion and dawning fear.

"I know where I _hope_ he is," Hiei growled viciously, though hell was too good for him. Kagome's eyes were glistening with unshed tears and he knew she was worried that the stupid bastard had wished himself out of existence. That was too good for him, too. But would the Shikon no tama really do this to her? She had guarded the jewel practically her whole life, even if unknowingly for most of it. It had been born inside her. Would it really doom her to be killed here after all she had done to safeguard it?

He felt another flash of power that signaled someone or some_thing_ had just come through the well. The centipede demon? No! He recognized that aura! He blinked and looked up into the surrounding trees, but his attention was drawn by several arrows hitting the tree around the younger Kagome. It seemed the villagers had found her.

"Kagome, ..."

As the men tied her younger self's hands and feet and carried her out of the forest, Kagome saw a blur in the trees following them. "Hiei? Is that ...?"

"Yes. It's me," he said, still puzzling over how that could be. He had never been able to travel through the well before, so it had to be the jewel's doing. He wondered what circumstance had prompted him to try it, -- had Koenma sent him here?

"Oh," Kagome smiled at him, "then it's going to be okay. You'll be here with me."

Something about it wasn't right, though, and Hiei couldn't shake the nagging feeling that for once, his mate just might be a little too optimistic. They had reached the village and were watching as Lady Kaede spoke to her and told her she was the image of her elder sister, Kikyou, who had died over 50 years ago. That's when it hit Hiei, -- the version of him that had come through the well wouldn't be him as he was now, -- it would be him from 5 years ago. He closed his eyes and tried to think back. (_Shit!_) At this time 5 years ago, he had been scouting out the Ningenkai, planning to steal that damn sword from the Reikai vaults and enslave the ningen population. He _had_ looked around Tokyo, and had even rested in the Goshinboku one night, though he had not seen her then. The jewel must have manipulated the timing of his visit to coincide with the day she first traveled through time. This younger version of himself, who was even now watching the younger Kagome, must have felt the power of the well when she was pulled through and checked it out. One thing was sure: he wasn't here to help her.

As the afternoon wore on and darkness fell, the younger Hiei had disappeared. As he thought about it, the hiyoukai realized that if he had somehow found himself back in Feudal Japan before he had met up with Yusuke and become indebted to the Reikai, he may very well have thought he was in paradise. He would be free to enjoy the less civilized land and to fight and to kill ningen and youkai alike with no barrier to contend with and no need to shield himself from the eyes of the Reikai. He might not come back to this village to check on this girl who had also come from his time. And if he did, he might just kill her to make sure she didn't have the power to force him back. Then again, he hadn't found Yukina yet. It was torture trying to second-guess himself.

"Hiei, we're still here," Kagome reminded him. "Why are we still here? Time has begun again. I don't want to sound ungrateful to have this time with you like this since things will be different for us, but it's really difficult to watch myself and not be able to warn myself that the village is about to be attacked. It's nerve-wracking. And I don't know what I will do this time when Mistress Centipede comes after me. Last time, I ran to Inuyasha and ended up freeing him."

She saw that he was hesitating to speak, as if he was debating with himself about telling her something. "Oh no, you don't. If you think you know something, you need to tell me. We're here together."

Knowing she wouldn't let it be, he told her of his suspicions, "Time has begun again, but I don't think our fate is set. I think we are going to be here to witness that."

"What do you mean our fate isn't set? I'm here, there's no Inuyasha, and _you're_ here. Inuyasha's wish took him out of this part of my life, so you're in it 5 years sooner than you would have been."

He shook his head. "It's not that simple. I wasn't supposed to be in your life 5 years earlier because back then I was a bitter, hardened killer. Kagome, I was planning to take over the ningen realm and turn everyone into mindless slaves. The chances that I am here to help you on your journey are slim to none. We've already seen that the jewel chose to interpret Inuyasha's wish differently than he intended. Hell, it's always seemed to thrive on misery and pain. It may have sent me here to kill you, and it may be getting its jollies out of forcing us to watch it happen. Even though _this_ consciousness may fade away, that knowledge would be a scar on my soul. And you ..."

"That's not going to happen." Cupping his face in both of her hands, Kagome kissed him, softly, but firmly. "If you believe that our consciousness now will still have an effect our souls, even if it's in a way that we are never truly aware of, then you have to know that you could never hurt me."

Resting his forehead on hers, he took a deep breath. No. It was a good try, and he was sure she believed it, but she didn't know him back then.

Just then, a horse fell from the sky right outside the hut the younger Kagome was sitting in. Mistress Centipede had arrived. She demanded the jewel of four souls and Lady Kaede to Kagome in shock. "You have the jewel?"

"I ... I'm not sure!"

As the demon wreaked havoc, Lady Kaede was telling the men that if they could somehow lure it to the old, dry well, they might be able to trap it.

"The well near the Goshinboku?" Kagome asked.

"You recognized the god tree? Yes, the well is near there," Kaede said.

But Kagome had gotten all turned around when the men had carried her into the village. "Which direction?"

"The forest of the Bone-Eater Well is East."

That didn't help her much, so she looked around her as far off as she could. There was a section of forest that seemed to be glowing. "Where that light is? Okay." And she took off running. She knew the centipede demon would follow because _she_ was what the thing wanted.

"That child saw the mystical aura of the forest?" Kaede whispered to herself, before rounding up the men to help trap the monster.

Hiei and Kagome watched as young Kagome dodged the demon and its length swept over her. She had reached the Goshinboku, but there was no one there. No taunting hanyou and no hiyoukai from the future. Just as the centipede made to grab her, the creature was struck by a barrage of arrows with ropes attached to them. The men of the village began to haul her away towards the well. But Kagome's reprieve was short-lived and bodies began to rain down around her.

"This body ... is so weak ... I will devour you whole ... Shikon jewel and all ..." the youkai hissed.

"No!" the girl yelled. "Get away!" And she threw out her hand to ward off the demon. Just like in the well when she had been pulled in, she felt something surge through her body and shoot out through her hand, ripping three of the demon's arms off.

"The Shikon jewel?"

Hiei looked up and saw his younger self staring down at the girl on the ground. In all the chaos, he had not even noticed his arrival.

"Vile thing!" the centipede screeched, and she lunged forward, biting sharply into Kagome's side and lifting her into the air. There was an initial spray of blood followed by a stream, in which a large pink jewel seemed to float for a minute before falling to the ground to land in front of the body of its unknowing possessor and protector.

Hiei put his hand over Kagome's where she was clutching her side. She had jerked slightly when the demon had bitten into the younger girl's side. "Could you feel that?"

She shook her head. "Just a phantom pain."

"The jewel of four souls!" Lady Kaede cried.

"I knew, I knew, I knew you were hiding it!" the youkai yelled triumphantly.

At that moment, Hiei made his presence known. "I'll take that." And he landed right in front of Kagome. Before he could pick the jewel up, though, the demon, who had coiled her body around Kagome and the tree, slammed her into Hiei and trapped both of them against the Goshinboku. Then she swallowed the jewel.

"Damn it, girl! Move!" Hiei snarled at her. The ningen had his sword trapped.

"I'd love to," she said, with her face pressed into his lower abdomen. "But in case you haven't noticed, there's a demon squeezing the life out of me."

And the centipede began to transform as she grew in power. Her arms flew to her body and reattached themselves.

"_Move_! I have no intention of dying here because some fool ningen ..." a strange look came over his face.

"Kagome, couldn't you have moved in another direction?" Hiei asked his mate.

Though there was no color on her face, he was sure she was blushing. "There is a centipede demon trying to kill me, -- I don't think I had a choice," she retorted.

Seconds later, the centipede lay in pieces. But the pieces began to move.

"Can you see a piece where the flesh glows?" Kaede asked her. "Unless you remove the jewel, her body will resurrect itself time and again."

"I ... I see it," Kagome said, crawling over to a wiggling piece of flesh. Reaching in, she pulled out the jewel. "You're telling me that this 'Jewel of Four Souls' thing gives power to demons?"

"Yes. So you have no need of it. Now, hand it over," Hiei demanded, "Or I'll take it from your dead body."

This was Hiei's worst fear come to life. He was going to kill her. Because he knew Kagome, and he knew there was no way she was going to hand the Shikon no tama over to him. And he knew himself. He had no love for ningen, -- no sympathy, no compassion, and he would show no mercy. He held Kagome to him.

"You don't need it, either. You're obviously powerful enough already." Before the words had left her mouth, five thin lines of blood appeared, -- one on each side of her neck, one on each arm, and one across her abdomen.

"Hand over the jewel or the next cut will remove your head from your shoulders," he aid in a bored tone of voice.

"You ... you _cut _me!" she stared at the youkai standing in front of her in disbelief. None of the wounds were very deep, but they all stung and Kagome blinked furiously to keep her eyes from watering. Then she just turned and ran.

"You can't escape from me!" he told her and he was right at her side. She switched direction and kept going, but he was there, too. She turned one more time and had barely gone a few feet when she slammed right into him.

"Do you _want_ me to kill you?" he asked, becoming annoyed.

"I refuse to die here! I have a family to get back to!" she shot back at him.

He had lost sight of the fact that he had been transported to another time. He had a sister to find. And that jewel would help him. Tired of waiting, he simply flashed forward and snatched the jewel from her hand. "I'll be sure to tell them you send your regards." And he took off for the well.

He ... he couldn't possibly know where her family was, could he? Could he? She took off after him.

Hiei and Kagome looked at each other and followed her. Hiei was still amazed that he hadn't just killed her. He didn't remember being so tolerant of anyone who defied him as she had. And, was he heading for the well? Was he actually planning to take the Shikon no tama into the future to use it? Yes, he supposed it would fit into his plans very nicely. But, didn't Kagome say something about not being able to pass through the well without a shard? He may not have killed her by his own hand, but he was leaving her to die, just the same.

Kagome squeezed his hand. She knew he was still worried, but she had been right. His younger self couldn't kill her. Now, if he went through the well and left her, that was another thing, but she just couldn't let herself believe that was going to happen. She willed herself to run faster. She knew she could never hope to _catch_ him, but she would _try_.

When she reached the well, there was no sign of anyone. But as she looked over the edge, she could hear mumbled curses turn to shouts over the sound of her heavy breathing. He couldn't get through.

"See?" Kagome nudged her mate. "The jewel is making sure you are here with me."

"You may be right."

The younger Hiei leaped out of the well. "We are stuck here," he growled.

"What do you mean 'we?' Are you from my time?" the girl asked him.

"Yes. But it looks like I'll be having my fun in _this_ time." He turned to leave, but found himself face down on the ground.

"You're not going anywhere with that jewel," came a muffled voice from his back.

She had _tackled_ him! And she had her arms wrapped around his hips and one of her hands was cupping ...

Hiei covered his face with his hand and shook his head. "Kagome, how did you ever survive as long as you have? Better yet, how is that you were still a virgin when we mated?"

"What do you mean?"

"Onna, you've got your hand wrapped around my cock."

"Girl! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm taking back the jewel," she said calmly.

"_Those_ jewels stay with me," he snickered.

Hiei stared at himself, eyes wide with disbelief. Did he just make a joke and laugh? Granted, it was a ridiculous situation. Of course, _he_ had noticed right away that she was an unusual ningen. But somehow, he hadn't thought that he would have appreciated that when he was younger. He definitely sounded amused, though. Maybe Kagome was right. Maybe everything would work out after all.

When they both sat up and he saw himself looking intently at her rosy-cheeked face, he relaxed a bit. He was startled, though, to see her put her hands on his shoulders and lean forward to press her lips to his. It was an extremely brief kiss, but he could swear he could feel the softness and the warmth of her lips against his. They tingled. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Kagome gently touch her lips. She had felt it, too.

"Thank you," she said to the stunned youkai, "-- for saving me from that demon." Then she stood up and slipped the Shikon no tama into the front of her bra, where it rested securely in her cleavage.

"I never knew you were so sneaky," he accused his mate.

"A girl's got to have _some_ secrets," she smiled back at him. She noticed that they were beginning to fade away. "I guess we're done," she said, as a small tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

"No," he told her. "We're just beginning."

"You're not afraid you're going to hurt me or leave me now?"

"Hn. Of course not. You sealed our fate just like you did the first time, -- with that first kiss."

And as he captured her lips for one last caress, -- one last taste, -- he knew it was true. Their life together wasn't going to play out the way it had the first time. Hell, _everything_ was going to be different. But, they would be together. As their bodies completely faded from view, a young Kagome and Hiei looked up as they both heard two voices whispering on the breeze throughout the forest. "_I love you_."

--End.

A/N: I directly quoted a few lines of dialogue from the 1st volume of "InuYasha," as published by Viz, in the part where Kagome first comes through the well and during the attack by Mistress Centipede. I also paraphrased a few lines from that. Credit where it's due, folks!

I wrote this for a contest being held by the kagome-x-hiei club on DeviantArt. The theme was: first kiss. (And I cheated because I put _two_ of them in there, -- HA!!) If you're in the mood for some more Hiei/Kag first kisses, check out the club page for all the entries. There was also an art category in the contest, so you can see some great Hiei/Kag fanart, too! (If you can't find the club page, you can get there by clicking on their icon on my page in my journal.)

For anyone who may be wondering about the next chapter of "Black Widow Miko," (if anyone still remembers that story since it's been about 3 months since the last chapter went up!), I am really working on it and hope to get it up soon. The last three months have been ... not so good for me, and terribly busy, but I am ready to wrap that story up. (Three chapters to go!) So, I will be pushing myself to finish it as soon as possible, but I refuse to crap it up at the end by slapping together shoddy dialogue and rushed scenes. I want it to be as good as it can be with someone like me writing it. LOL!! So, please don't give up on it! It's coming!


	10. Chapter 10 The Hands of Fate

DISCLAIMER: All profits, rights, and credit for "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" go to Takahashi and Togashi. The only thing I claim is that Hiei and Kagome work great together!

Written for The Deadliest Sin community

Prompt: "Oh, no!"

Word count: 2,741

The Hands of Fate

"Well, look who decided to show up after all? Figures you'd wait until all the work was done, shrimp," Kuwabara grumbled.

Hiei arched a brow at the redhead. "You didn't expect me to _help_ you morons, did you? I have better things to do with my time than expend my energy picking fruit."

"Heh! I knew he'd be here sooner or later. You might not have bothered to come help Genkai pick all these peaches, but I _knew_ you couldn't resist another chance to cop a feel of your obsession," Yusuke grinned and nodded in the direction of two girls lugging a large basket of peaches between them.

_Shit!_ He should have known _she_ would be here. "Very funny. Perhaps you'd like your blood added to the jam the old onna will be making?"

"Well, _you'd_ better keep your hands to yourself this time, shorty. It ain't gentlemanly behavior to go around groping a girl's ... um, well, to go around groping a girl all the time," Kuwabara frowned at him.

"You have to admit, Hiei," Kurama chimed in, "that your past actions where Kagome are concerned have been a bit beyond the pale."

It was infuriating to have to listen to them assassinate his character like this, but for once, he couldn't come up with a scathing retort. The truth was the kami had been having a good laugh at his expense ever since Genkai had introduced Higurashi Kagome. Sure, she was attractive—he wasn't going to deny that. And he even found that she wasn't as stupid or boring as most ningen. She had power and courage and her experiences in the past were really quite interesting. Yes, she was pleasant enough and his sister had struck up an immediate friendship with her. But he was _not_ obsessed with her or her obvious ... charms. Not at all. And it was grossly unfair that _he_, of all people, should have to put up with this kind of teasing and insinuation from someone who had perfected groping to an art form like Yusuke, or have to listen to threats and lectures from a gorilla who fancied himself a white knight. Then there was the fox. Oh, he might _act_ perfectly polite and mannerly, but none of these fools seemed to realize he used his height to look down the women's shirts. Damn them all.

Yet here he was, being accused of evil intentions and untoward behavior all because of a series of ridiculous accidents. Looking over at the miko again, he saw her stop in her tracks when she saw him. From the look on her face, he knew she was thinking about their last encounter. Or possibly the one before that. He sighed to himself. Or any time they'd been in proximity with each other. Though they never said much to each other, their meetings were always memorable.

The very first time they met, here at the temple, had evidently set the tone for their "relationship." Genkai had introduced her and told them a little about her adventures. She and Yukina had hit it off right away and soon the two of them were chatting like old friends. As they walked around a bit, with Kuwabara trailing behind like a lost puppy, they paused at the top of the steps. Yukina turned to face Kagome as she spoke and started to take a step back. It was obvious to Hiei that the koorime was going to tumble down the stairs, so he had moved quickly to throw out an arm to prevent her fall. How could he have known the big oaf would grab her arm and yank her away from the stairs? His outstretched arm met nothing but air, but his hand had closed around a soft, but firm mound. He didn't know who was more shocked. Kagome's cheeks had turned dark pink and he had jerked his hand away as if it had been burned. Considering the circumstances, she had accepted that it was an accident, but that hadn't stopped Yusuke from laughing. "Damn, Hiei! I didn't know you had it in you! But why don't you try to get to know the girl better first?" Shooting the detective a cold glare, he had left without a word.

If that had been the only incident, the toushin would have let it drop. But no. The next time he had seen her had been just as disastrous. The Spirit Detectives had been assigned to escort her through the Makai to meet an old friend, a red kitsune named Shippou. They had to cross through hostile territory and at one point, they had tried to avoid trouble by slipping silently around a group of bandits. But the onna had gotten her foot stuck in a hole in the ground and lost her shoe. When she had bent over to put it back on, she had muttered to herself about knowing better than to go running around in those kind of shoes. Obviously, she had forgotten about youkai hearing, so Hiei had quickly reached around her to clamp his hand over her damn mouth before the bandits heard her. How could he have known she would straighten up at that very second? He had ended up with another handful of womanly flesh. To keep her from yelling, he had covered her mouth with his other hand. Apparently, that made him look twice as bad. Perhaps if he had released the first hand ...

Then she had elbowed him in the gut. The slight "oomph" he made had drawn his teammates' attention and Kuwabara's eyes had bugged out. The idiot had promptly announced their presence to the bandits with a "Hey! What the hell are you doing to her?!" After the fight was over, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama had all stared at him like he had grown another head.

"The damn onna wouldn't be quiet," he spat out.

"Well, hell, Hiei. What did you expect when you grabbed her boob? Take my word for it, most of them yell. Or smack you," the toushin grinned. Then he had leaned over and whispered, "But I gotta give you credit, that was a gutsy move--copping a feel when we're trying to sneak around. Too bad for you she has sharp elbows, huh?" She had stayed close to Kuwabara and Kurama for the rest of the trip.

And she _had_ smacked him the next time.

In addition to his seeming obsession with her breasts, he had also ended up not once, but _twice_ with a hand on her ass. Worse than that, though, was the time he had landed with his face between her legs. She had been wearing a skirt and he had actually come face-to-er ... _face_ with a pair of lacy, black panties. And he certainly couldn't forget the incident when he had ripped her shirt off. The evening had gone smoothly for once, and he had managed to keep his distance from her so the fates couldn't make him look bad. Then she had sat down in the chair he had strewn his cloak over, and not wanting her scent clinging to it, because he was _not_ obsessed with her, he had hastily stepped forward and grabbed it. How could he have known he had accidentally grabbed the neckline of her shirt, too? Even Yukina had looked at him like he was some kind of pervert.

It was simply inconceivable that anyone would think he had done any of those things on purpose. Even the time he had crawled into bed with her was easily explained. Yes, he had told Kurama he would be in the Makai all weekend. But after a day of fighting and gambling, he had been bored and tired. He knew Kurama was planning on going to Genkai's the next day, so he figured he would just stay in his guest room and join him so he could check on Yukina. He had stayed there many times before and it was never a problem. How could he have known Kagome had painted her apartment and Kurama had offered her his guest room for the night so she wouldn't have to smell the paint fumes?

He had been so tired, he had just gone in through the open window, stripped, and slipped under the covers. He had awakened to the sound of screaming. The extremely comfortable pillow his cheek was resting on was yanked out from under him, causing him to tighten his grip on whatever he had been clutching in his hand. It was a reflexive action. He had _not_ been "fondling" her breast when Kurama had come running into the room, no matter _what_ the fox said. And he had no idea who that "Miroku" fellow was she was comparing him to, but he had to give him the benefit of the doubt—perhaps he had simply been an unfortunate victim of circumstances, too.

Hiei had stayed away for a month after that.

All right, so he had to admit it didn't look good. Still, if the onna in question was still willing to risk being around him, the rest of them could just shut their damn mouths. It was probably their remarks that were encouraging the kami to keep playing their little game with him. And she _was_ willing to come around where he was. Even if she was walking slowly right now. He wasn't sure if she realized all the incidents had been accidents or if she was just exceptionally forgiving. Whatever the case, if she was going to continue risking his company, he certainly wasn't going to be the one to run. He wasn't going to let the fates rule his life. With a pointed look at the others, he purposefully walked towards her. He _could_ stand near her without anything untoward happening. He was in control of his own actions and he was _not_ obsessed with her.

"Hello, Hiei," Kagome smiled at him encouragingly as she and Yukina set down the basket of peaches they had been carrying. The koorime greeted him, too. While she couldn't help but be a bit wary of being so close to him, Kagome wasn't one to hold a grudge. She knew that first time he had groped her had been an accident, and after she had thought about what he had said about her not shutting up after the incident in the Makai, she had seen how that could have been a misunderstanding, too. So, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Despite his "curse," Miroku had been a good friend and she liked all of these people she had met through Genkai. They were good-hearted, loyal, and fun. They reminded her of her own friends from the past and helped ease the ache left by their separation.

In truth, she actually found Hiei rather attractive and she was drawn to his quiet confidence. In fact, if he would ever express any real interest in her--other than the groping--she would be open to seeing where it led. No other man had even sparked her interest that way since Inuyasha. From everything else she had seen of him, he seemed like a very honorable person. Yukina thought he was wonderful. And from what the others had said of him, he didn't make a habit of touching women inappropriately. (Actually, what Yusuke had said was that Hiei had never had been boob-happy before.) They seemed to think he just didn't know how to express his interest in her. But she wasn't buying that. _No one_ was that stupid or socially awkward. And she wasn't about to just let him go around touching her like that, either. But she was willing to give him another chance.

The others carted the last of the baskets over and set them nearby and Yukina went to get something for everyone to drink. Much to the relief of both of them, nothing happened as they stood there on opposite sides of the peach basket. Kagome asked if he had been all right since she'd seen him last and he gave her a slight nod. Then she talked easily for a bit about some of the things she and the others had been doing. Her voice was pleasant and she didn't expect him to say anything, so he would have been perfectly comfortable standing there if he wasn't trying so hard to make sure no "accidents" occurred. He watched her take the red ribbon out of her hair from where she had pulled it up to work. He had to admit, he preferred to see it loose around her shoulders and flowing down her back. Not that he was interested—it was just an observation—like the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. Most of the time, they more of a blue-gray, but when she laughed, they were a deeper, brighter blue. And it was interesting how very gray they got when she was angry. He had seen enough of that to know.

Hiei looked around at the others. Sure enough, they were all watching him carefully—the bastards. Well, nothing had happened. And nothing was _going_ to happen. He had beaten the curse the fates had lain on him. With the pungent smell of the sweet fruit in the air and the self-satisfaction of the righteous, he gave them a smug smile and reached down to snag a peach from the basket. From the corner of his eyes, he saw something falling just under his outstretched arm. Something red. Kagome's ribbon. "_Oh, no!_"

He closed his eyes as he gently squeezed the object in his hand. Not a peach. The kami hated him.

"Hiei!!" He could hear the ape swearing.

He looked at Kagome's red face. Her eyes were not blue. As she straightened up from where she had bent over to retrieve the ribbon and clenched it tightly in her fist, he admitted defeat. They had done it to him again. It didn't matter how vigilant he was, he was always going to come off looking bad around her. He supposed he should let go now.

He released her breast and quickly moved so he could wrap an arm around her and take off. There was no way he was going to stand there and let her hit him like she obviously thought he deserved. And he wasn't going to listen to any more of Yusuke's crap, either. If he couldn't stop it from happening, he was going to have to take control of the situation another way. He was _not_ going to let everyone continue to call him a pervert.

When Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara caught up with them, they found them locked in an embrace. It was quite obvious from the way Kagome's arms were wrapped around Hiei that she was a willing participant.

"I just don't get it," Kuwabara said, scratching the back of his head. "She's _kissing_ him—after what he did." He stared at the couple and shook his head as he saw one of Hiei's hands squeeze her bottom. "And he's _still_ doing it!"

Yusuke laughed and slapped him on the back. "Don't you see? He finally wised up and told her how he feels about her. Now he's got a license to grope."

"Like the one you have with Keiko? It doesn't keep _you_ from getting smacked," Kuwabara pointed out.

"I believe that in Hiei's case, he will be able to confine his more ... intimate attentions to times when they are in private now," Kurama told him. "He really seems to believe that everything he did was accidental. Obviously, it was the only way he could allow himself to act on his subconscious desires."

"You go ahead and tell yourself that, Kurama," Yusuke winked at him. "But I always knew the little guy had it in him."

"Hmph. Takes a pervert to know one," Kuwabara grumbled.

"I suggest we leave them to their privacy." But as the three Spirit Detectives walked away, Kurama paused for a second and tilted his head as if listening to something.

"What is it?"

Shaking his head, he gave a small, rueful smile. "Nothing. For a second there, I just thought I heard laughing."

And in the Reikai, a small group of kami passed around a jug of sake and looked around for another victim.

--End.

If you are a Hiei/Kagome fan, let me invite you to check out a new message board: thedeadliestsin . proboards55 . com/index.cgi? (remove the spaces) In addition to interesting topics and good discussions, we put up weekly prompts and run fanfic and fanart contests. Come join us!


	11. Chapter 11 Too Much Information

DISCLAIMER: "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" are the creations and property of mangaka Takahashi and Togashi. This little drabble featuring their characters is simply the wistful ramblings of manic maniac madmiko.

Written for TheDeadliestSin community

Prompt: "Like Silk"

Word count: 1,785

Too Much Information

Coming to a stop on a thick branch in a nearby tree, Hiei determinedly pushed aside the thought that he shouldn't be following her. After all, it had taken him an entire year to decide to court the girl and another year after that to mate with her, despite the constant, irritating urgings of their "friends." And all that time, he had managed to play it cool. He didn't wait anxiously for her arrival when they were getting together, often telling the others he didn't know if she would be there or not. He didn't hover around her or watch her every movement like some lovesick ningen teenager. And he _definitely_ didn't accompany her when she was getting together "with the girls." So, he really didn't want to be caught trailing along behind her just because they had finally consummated the relationship and spent the last week holed up in her apartment and he hadn't been ready to let her go when she had accepted an invitation to go to lunch with Keiko, Yukina, Shizuru, and Botan after having breakfast with her mother. Damn females.

All he wanted to do was to take his mate back to their bed where she belonged. She could get together with other people later. Next month. Or the one after that. Unfortunately, it looked like they were going to take their sweet time with this "lunch." They had bought bento boxes and taken them to a nice, sunny park where they were spreading out a couple of blankets to sit and eat. They were on Kurama's side of town and Hiei hoped the fox wouldn't stumble upon them. He really didn't want to have to worry about being detected while he was stalking his own onna.

After several minutes of just watching her--er, _them_, he saw all the females turn toward Kagome and they seemed to be listening with rapt attention to whatever she was telling them. So, he decided to listen in to see what was so interesting. He figured she was telling them they had mated.

"It was the biggest one I've ever seen," she said, nodding her head enthusiastically.

He was right. The apparition smirked to himself for a second before frowning. Just how many had she seen?

"Really? I would have thought that with all your travels across the country in the past and the many trips you've made into the Makai, you would have seen some much bigger," Botan said.

Bitch. Showed how much _she _knew. He had always known he didn't like her for some reason.

"No, not really."

"Were you scared?" Yukina asked.

"Well, a little," Kagome confessed. "But I couldn't let Mama know that. She would get rid of him."

Hmph. She could _try_.

"But he was amazingly gentle."

Gentle? Well, maybe that first time. But she was going to ruin his reputation. It was a damn good thing the fox and the detective weren't here. Let alone the idiot. That would be all he needed for them to hear. And she had been walking gingerly enough and had enough scratches not to be saying things like that. For that matter, so did _he_. He certainly wouldn't call his sweet, little priestess "gentle." Damn onna.

"And when he looked at me with those big, hopeful eyes, I couldn't resist. I was still a little nervous about putting my hand on him, but once I did, I couldn't stop. I'm not kidding, I've never felt anything so smooth before. It was like someone had put a layer of silk over thick, hard muscle. I must have petted and rubbed him for half an hour," Kagome told them with a laugh.

All right, now this talk was getting a little _too_ personal. He couldn't believe she would tell such intimate details to other people. Did all females talk about these things so openly?

"Bet he has a huge appetite--that kind always does. So, does he eat a lot?" Shizuru asked, slowly blowing out a stream of smoke as she tapped her cigarette on the side of her bento box.

Hiei almost fell off his branch. He should have known _she_ would ask something like that--he always knew that onna was trouble. He was going to see to it that Kagome and Yukina didn't spend too much time with her from now on.

"Oh, my! Yes, he does!" Kagome confirmed. "But he's kind of sloppy. I think it's because his tongue is so wide. Slobber everywhere."

That did it. Hiei stood up. It was time to end this sordid little gossiping session. She certainly hadn't been complaining at the time and damn if he was going to let her tell such things to them. And his tongue wasn't _that_ wide. She was just small.

"Kurama has a really big one. Have you seen it?" Botan asked.

That stopped him for a moment. Kurama and Botan?

"I didn't know pretty boy had one," Shizuru said.

Hiei snickered to himself at that.

"Oh, yes," Keiko nodded. "He just showed me yesterday. He hasn't brought it out much because he's injured."

Well, that explained a lot. He hadn't seen Kurama with a female in all the years he had known him. But he wondered if the detective knew what he had been up to with his onna, injured or not.

"Oh, look! Here he comes now, and it looks like Yusuke is with him. We can go to his apartment and you can tell us which one is bigger, Kagome," Botan said, waving the guys over.

Oh, HELL no! Landing directly in front of his wayward mate, Hiei pulled her roughly to her feet. "That's it! It's bad enough that you had to share so many private details of our sex life with these nosey, big-mouthed females, but I absolutely draw the line at you going anywhere to see if someone's cock is bigger than mine."

Kagome just stared at him as all the color drained from her face in shock at the way he had insulted their friends. Her pallor didn't last long, though, as a dark red stain quickly spread across her cheeks when she realized what _else_ he was saying.

"As for my appetite, if I remember correctly, _you_ were the one who woke _me_ up these last three mornings begging for more. And I sure didn't hear any complaints about my tongue when you had a deathgrip on my hair and were yelling my name," he continued to rant.

Turning to Yusuke, whose eyes were as big as saucers as he listened to the little fire demon throwing a fit, Hiei said, "You will take Yukina home. I don't want her associating with these females any longer, and I suggest you keep an eye on your own onna." Then he narrowed his eyes and glared at Kurama, "And _you_ had better start keeping your cock in your pants, instead of playing your injury for sympathy and future favors."

"Hiei!" Kagome yelled. "Stop!"

Slinging her over his shoulder none-too-gently, he smacked her bottom. "That's the first time I've heard you say _that_, too, and it had better be the last." And in a blur of color, they were gone.

"What. The. HELL was that all about?" Yusuke looked around at all the stunned faces. "Because it sure sounded like Hiei was saying he and Kagome have been sexing it up." He frowned and pointed at Kurama. "And it sounded like he was accusing you of something." He turned his frown on Keiko next, "and _you_, too."

Then Shizuru started laughing. After a minute, Botan joined her, and soon Keiko and Yukina were giggling, too. Finally, rubbing her side with hand while tossing her cigarette away with the other one, Shizuru said, "I never would have believed that little sourpuss would blow a gasket like that and spill so much juicy information."

"You realize we are never going to see Kagome again. She'll be too embarrassed to face us," Botan told them.

"Are you going to tell us what happened or not?" Yusuke fumed.

Patting his arm, Keiko explained, "It all started when Kagome was telling us about ..."

-----

"A DOG, Hiei! I was telling them about the DOG Mama adopted!" Kagome yelled when he dumped her onto their bed.

The dark scowl on her mate's face slowly lightened and she could tell he was replaying the conversation in his mind. So, she sat up and waited for his apology. And waited. And waited some more. Then her face took on a dark, thunderous expression and she poked him sharply in the chest. "Just what were you doing there, anyway?" she asked suspiciously. "You were spying on me! Did you think I just couldn't wait to tell how great you are in bed? Haven't you ever heard that eavesdroppers never hear good of themselves?" she poked him again.

"Actually, it started out all right," he grinned slyly, pushing her back onto the bed and pinning her down.

"What?!!? How can you say that? And now every one of them is going to see what we were talking about in a different light. And then you had to go and say ... I can't believe what you told them! I'll never be able to face them again," she wailed, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Good." He nuzzled the top of her head for a minute, then raised up and started unbuttoning her shirt. "More time for this."

"You are simply unbelievable," she gaped at him.

"Is that better than great?

"Hmph. Who said you were great?"

"You did," he reminded her, touching her nipples lightly with his fingertips before leaning down to capture her mouth for a thorough, searching kiss. When he had what he wanted, namely her cooperation, he kissed his way to her ear and whispered, "You said you couldn't wait to tell them how great I was in bed."

Chuckling at the renewed outrage on her face, he set about proving her right. He knew she forgave his little misunderstanding, and he was determined to make the next few months as enjoyable as possible while they were hiding out here. Because there was _no way in hell_ HE was going to face any of them any time soon, either. And by the time Kagome got her courage up to see them again, he wanted to be sure she _was_ talking about him instead of some stupid dog.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------end.

A/N: If you are a fan of Hiei/Kagome fanfiction, you should check out The Deadliest Sin community. You can PM me for a link.

We are currently running a contest and there are 9 entries that you can read if you are a member. They are posted anonymously right now while they are being voted on, but will be posted to the individual authors' accounts when the contest is over. But here is your chance to have a nice chunk of new reading material at your fingertips! ^_^


	12. Chapter 12 What Clothing Reveals

DISCLAIMER: The characters and worlds of "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Haksuho" were created by Takahashi and Togashi. So far, I am not important enough, connected to the right people, or clever enough to figure out how to profit from them. So, I just have fun messing with them.

A/N: It's been a while since I added something to this collection and this silly little piece has been tumbling around in my head ever since TheDeadliestSin community posted the prompt "What are you wearing?"

What Clothing Reveals

"Hurry it up! We've wasted enough time already, having to track down those bandits to save your ass!" Inuyasha yelled.

_Again._ Hiei understood the hanyou's irritation was linked to his earlier worry, but he wished he would just shut up. He was the one who had lost the girl in the first place, while Hiei and the other Spirit Detectives were reporting to Koenma on their progress in the search for the shards of the Shikon no tama. For some ridiculous reason, the hanyou kept letting the girl go off to bathe without sufficient guard--the demon slayer might be tough, but a naked woman in a lake isn't much help when a group of bandits decide to grab another woman who is in the process of undressing.

"Shut up, Inuyasha! It's not her fault she got kidnapped," Shippou told him.

_Again. _This made the third time since they had joined this group of misfits seven months ago on Koenma's orders. The next time they went to report in, they were taking the blasted girl with them. And it _was_ her fault. They might try to chalk the incidents up to the shards she wore around her neck, but he knew better. It was because of that damn little, green skirt she wore.

They hadn't been traveling together for more than a few days when he had seen the danger in it. As if it wasn't bad enough that she stuck out like a sore thumb in this era, drawing everyone's attention everywhere they went with those long, bare legs of hers, she also proved to be a distraction for their own little group. Every time a strong gust of wind blew, every male eye in the group, except the young kitsune's, was drawn to the miko's backside, where they were treated to the sight of her colorful undergarments. Pink, blue, purple, green. She even had a pair of lacy red ones. Hiei hadn't even been fully aware that he had stopped traveling through the trees most days and was instead walking along behind her with the rest of the perverts until the day the pale peach panties were revealed. The damn things were practically the same color as her skin and he had stumbled at the first flash of them. The monk had chuckled and winked at him, whispering that they had that effect on him, too, and were his favorites. That was when Hiei realized he was in trouble--which didn't explain why he hadn't said anything about it until today. The truth was he had been enjoying the show as much as the other perverts, even if he hadn't joined in on the daily bets concerning which color she was wearing.

But today, when they had returned only to find the others desperately chasing after a group of bandits who were fleeing on horseback with a half-nude miko who didn't belong to them, Hiei had reached the limits of his endurance and determined it was time to put a stop to this nonsense. He was not one bit sorry that skirt had been ruined beyond repair when she had struggled with the men who grabbed her, although his rage at their daring to do such a thing had been formidable. And he certainly wasn't going to apologize for the loss of all of her other clothing when he had torched everything around the bandits, including her yellow backpack. Nothing else she ever brought with her was decent, either. She was safe and sound and it was high past time they do something about her clothing situation. Since she had to borrow something to wear from the demon slayer, the problem should be solved.

"Um ... I don't think this is going to work," she told them, peering hesitantly around a tree. "I'm afraid it doesn't fit very well."

"Will you just come on?" Inuyasha grouched. "Sango said she'd help you roll up the sleeves and bottoms. We just need to get going--we've lost a lot of ground."

"The problem isn't the height difference," Kagome confessed, her cheeks flushing. "It ... doesn't look right, and it's really uncomfortable. I'm sorry, Sango."

Inuyasha stomped over and grabbed her arm, pulling her out from behind the tree. "We don't care what it looks like. Let's go!" It only took a few seconds for him to regret his words.

"What the _hell_ are you wearing, onna?!!?"

Hiei had thought her skirt was a problem, but _this_--this was far worse. The slayer had given her that damn skintight outfit she wore for fighting. What the hell was she thinking?!!? While it showed the other woman's physique off to advantage, it was practically obscene on Kagome. The slayer was taller and slimmer, and while she certainly had curves of her own, they were not as bountiful. The material was stretched tight around the younger girl's full, rounded hips, which probably would have been cause for comment if anyone were to look down that far. But all eyes were focused on her chest, where the outfit lifted, separated, and emphasized the fullness of her breasts to mind-boggling effect. Her skin was covered from neck to ankle and it was as bad as if she were standing there naked before them.

"What are you trying to do--smuggle out a couple of melons from that farm up the road? Here, I'll carry them for ya," Yusuke said with an evil grin, then stumbled forward as Kuwabara smacked him on the back of the head.

"Cut it out, Urameshi," he said, keeping his eyes pinned to the ground as he avoided looking in Kagome's direction.

"Uh, Kagome," Sango walked over to her and whispered, "you should have bound them with that cloth I gave you."

Looking like she was going to cry, Kagome told her, "I did! But this was so tight it wouldn't go over the cloth. I'm not even going to mention what it's doing in other areas. I'm just not in good enough shape to wear something like this."

Hiei nearly choked when he heard that. Striding forward, he thrust his cloak in her face. "Take that damn thing off!"

"Yes, _do_, Kagome-sama," Miroku agreed. "But feel free to turn around first."

"Bouzo!" Inuyasha yelled, leaping toward him and grabbing him by the front of his kesa. "One more word out of you--out of _any_ of you--and you're going to find yourself waking up with Jakotsu."

After glaring at Miroku, Sango turned back to Kagome and started to walk back into the woods with her. "We'll trade what we're wearing until you can go home and get some more clothing."

"Maybe it would be better if Kirara could go ahead and take me back to the well and I could catch up with you all. It wouldn't take more than a couple of days."

Oh, _hell_ no! There was no way Hiei was going to let her go back to prancing around in those indecent skirts!

"Oh, _hell _no!" Inuyasha yelled. "We have wasted far too much time as it is. You promised you were staying until the next moon."

"Will you stop whining about time? It's _time_ for someone to point out a few relevant facts to our oblivious miko," Hiei snapped. "_You_ will not be bringing any more of your clothing here. You make it impossible for us to travel without drawing unwanted attention to our group. Not only do you make yourself a target for every horny bandit and youkai we come across with those indecent skirts of yours, but you also make it very difficult for us to stay in any village or purchase any supplies. We get turned away from 2 out of every 3 inns because they don't want prostitutes there."

"_What?!!?_" Shock, followed by dismay, drained all the color out of Kagome's face. She turned to Miroku and Inuyasha who were looking down at the ground uncomfortably. "But ... I thought you said we get turned away a lot because we have a hanyou and youkai in our group?"

"Aw, hell, Kagome. We didn't want to say anything to make you feel bad," Inuyasha confessed, glaring harshly at Hiei.

"And because of your ridiculous attempts to spare her feelings, she keeps getting kidnapped!"

"She keeps getting kidnapped because she's carrying the shards."

"No one is betting on what color the shards are," Hiei pointed out. "They're always pink, unlike her undergarments."

"_WHAT?!!? _You guys have been betting on the color of my ..." Kagome couldn't believe what they were saying. She was so mortified she wanted to sink into the ground. Had she really caused so much trouble with her choice of clothing? She had never given it much thought. Her school uniform was simply very wearable and durable and she had several of them. And these _perverts_ had been looking up her skirt all this time? "What am I going to do?"

Sango patted her shoulder comfortingly. "You can have these to wear whenever you're here. I can make do with my fighting clothes."

Hiei looked at what the slayer was wearing. It was decent, but he really didn't want to see Kagome in those hideous colors. The magenta and pink reminded him of that nasty ningen medicine Yusuke had tricked him into drinking once, and he had had more than enough of seeing her in something green. No, those colors didn't suit her and they didn't suit _him_. "No. Just take that off and wait," he ordered before disappearing in a blur, leaving Kagome staring after him with a confused look on her face.

"What?" Inuyasha sputtered. "Who the hell does he think he is and where the hell is he going?"

Miroku looked over at Hiei's teammates with an amused expression. "It appears that he has taken a proprietary interest in our fair miko."

"Yeah, he likes her!" Shippou said

Kurama winked at the little kitsune. "I daresay he has gone to choose something he deems acceptable for her."

"What do you mean 'he has gone to choose something he deems acceptable for her?' It's not up to him to decide what's acceptable for her!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I think we can all agree that Kagome-sama is in need of some clothing, and unless you want her to take Kirara and head for her home wearing his cloak, which would cause a delay of some days instead of a few hours, I suggest you let him get something for her. Besides, he _was_ the one who accidentally burned her other things," Miroku pointed out, "so, he may feel obliged to replace them."

"Accidentally, my ass," Inuyasha grumbled. "From the way he was talking about her clothes, I'm starting to think he did it on purpose." But he couldn't deny the little fire apparition had been in a rage when they had caught up to the bandits. At the time, he had been in complete agreement with him, but now he was getting an uncomfortable feeling about it. It was starting to look like the brat was right and the runt _was_ interested in Kagome. He frowned at the thought. Then he relaxed. They had been traveling together for two seasons now and the smaller youkai had never made a move to fix Kagome's interest. With a wry smile, he shook his head slightly. He didn't have to worry about that one sweeping her off her feet with declarations of undying love and devotion, and Kagome sure wasn't going to look kindly at someone who said she looked like a prostitute.

When Hiei returned, he tossed a cloth sack to Kagome, who was sitting under a tree with Sango and Shippou. From the distance the others were keeping from them, he imagined both Inuyasha and Sango had read them the riot act, which was a good thing because she was entirely too appealing sitting there in his cloak. He would be glad when she was finally covered in something decent.

Kagome was smiling when she came back from changing. "These are very pretty! Thank you, Hiei. I'll pay you back for them when I go home--I have some money saved up."

The apparition frowned at her. "No need."

"Keh! He probably stole them anyway."

"Oh! You didn't steal them, did you?" Kagome asked, concern creasing her brow. "Clothing isn't easy to come by for ordinary people in these times."

"I did _not_ steal them," Hiei said coldly. "And you can keep your money. I have plenty."

"He does, you know," Kurama said. "Hiei has quite a treasure trove in the Makai. Of course," he grinned, "he stole it all."

"Shut up, fox."

Kagome smothered a laugh. "Well, thank you anyway, Hiei. This really is quite lovely and will do nicely for our travels here, I think."

He looked at her carefully for a minute, then scowled. He had messed up. He had tried to find her an outfit that would be considered normal and ordinary here, though he had to admit to choosing one of slightly better quality than the slayer's. And while it _did_ cover her legs, he wished it did more to disguise her figure. The thin obi that he knew was under the skirt did not hide the way her waist tapered in from her shapely hips. The darn thing was too low below her breasts, too, to detract from their fullness.

"It needs a wider obi."

He was regretting his choice of a short-sleeved kosode like Sango's, too. The tekkou which covered her forearms were close-fitting and drew attention to her delicate hands and fingers.

"And gloves."

She had the smoky gray furoshiki he had bought to match her skirt tied around her shoulders and it made her hair look darker by contrast and enticingly glossy.

"You should tie your hair back like hers," he pointed to Sango.

Kagome blinked, but obligingly retrieved the white ribbon that had been among all the other pieces. Sango glanced at Hiei speculatively out of the corner of her eye, but helped Kagome tie back her hair.

"Can we go now?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"No."

This would not work at all. With her hair pulled back, her long, graceful neck was exposed. All they needed was to run into some damn vampiric youkai and he'd be running off with her to sink his teeth into it.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha demanded as Hiei stepped forward and grabbed the carrying cloth from Kagome's shoulders and covered her hair with it before tying it in front of her neck.

"Yes, Hiei, what _are_ you doing?" Kurama asked with a small smile.

Now the cloth drew attention to the line of her jaw and the curve of her cheek. And her lips! Why didn't the damn females in this country wear veils? Yes, that was the answer.

"You need a veil."

"A what?" Kagome asked in confusion.

Eyes lit with amusement, Miroku walked over and held out a small black cloth. "Like this?" He draped it across the bottom half of Kagome's face and tucked the ends into the cloth around her head.

"Is he fixing her some kind of disguise?" Shippou asked. But no one answered as they watched to see what happened next.

That should have fixed it, but it didn't. Hiei had specifically chosen the sapphire blue kosode because he knew it would bring out the blue in her blue-gray eyes. And that was where he had made his mistake. It _did_ bring out the blue in her eyes.

"Yusuke, give me your sunglasses."

Almost choking on his laughter, the toushin handed them over, while Kuwabara just stood there with his mouth open.

When Hiei stepped back again to examine his handiwork, Kurama slowly applauded. "I have to hand it to you, Hiei. I don't believe I have ever witnessed a man pay such thorough homage to a woman's beauty, and thereby declare her complete appeal to him, without uttering a single compliment before."

"Are you sure you're done?" Yusuke asked, snickering. "I mean, you got her sandals without any tabi socks. Aren't you afraid someone will see her toes and be so overcome by lust that he runs off with her?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes at him. "It takes a uniquely degenerate mind to suggest something so perverted." Then he looked down at her feet and damn if he wasn't struck with a vision of her toes wiggling enticingly in his lap.

At the look on his face, Yusuke howled with laughter. "Oh, man! Her toes? Seriously?"

Taking off the glasses, the "veil," and the furoshiki, Kagome reached out and touched Hiei's arm. "Hiei? Is Kurama right? Do you ... like me?"

Shit! She did _not_ just ask that little bastard that! Inuyasha quickly sized up his rival, then relaxed again. There was no way the youkai was going to admit to having _feelings_ for her. He was more likely to tell her he was covering her up so he wouldn't have to look at her.

Hiei stared at her. She did _not_ just ask him that. He knew the girl was smart, so how was it possible for her to be so damn oblivious? And his feelings were beside the point, damn it! They had a serious problem that needed to be dealt with before they took another step on this blasted journey. But there she stood, looking at him with those big, beautiful eyes and waiting for him to say something. This was ridiculous!

Grabbing her arms, Hiei yanked her against his chest and kissed her with far more passion and fervor than finesse.

"Hey!" Inuyasha leaped forward, but Yusuke tackled him.

"Sit on him, Kuwabara! This is too good to miss!"

Breaking the kiss, Hiei didn't loosen his hold on her as he looked around at the others. "Now can we concentrate on solving this problem?"

"I'll solve your damn problem--I'll rip your fucking head off!"

"Hush, Inuyasha!" Kuwabara said, digging his knee into his back. "I want to know what problem hamster-legs has now. Looks to me like everything's been taken care of."

"Nothing has been 'taken care of,' you idiot. We are in the same situation we were before: she is still much too tempting for all these youkai and bandits to ignore, and I, for one, do not intend to spend all my time rescuing her from would-be kidnappers."

When the others, except for Inuyasha, just grinned at him like a bunch of idiots, Hiei turned back to Kagome. She seemed a bit dazed as she lifted a hand and touched her slightly swollen and bruised lips with her fingertips. Fine. If no one else was going to offer any possible solutions, he would take care of it himself. Picking her up, he said, "We'll join you in a month."

"_WHAT?!!?_ What do you mean you'll join us in a month? Where the hell do you think you're going?" Inuyasha yelled.

"To solve the problem. Youkai and bandits won't bother kidnapping a pregnant woman."

Shippou clapped his hands in glee. "It will be a lot of fun having a baby around."

"_What?!!? _You can't be serious!" Kagome said, blinking at him. "You just kissed me for the first time--I hope you don't think we're going to ... to ... _you know_ right away!"

"Then we'll join you in two months," he told the others before dashing off.

Throwing Kuwabara and Yusuke off, Inuyasha took off after them. "Come back here, you little bastard!"

"Houshi-sama, should we go after them?" Sango asked.

"Don't worry, Sango. He isn't serious," Miroku assured her. Then he turned to Kurama. "He isn't, is he?"

"Of course not," the avatar said with a slight shake of head. "Hiei would never allow his pregnant wife to participate in a quest like this. They won't be back in two months."


	13. Chapter 13 GiftWrapped

*DISCLAIMER: I do not own or profit from anything connected with "InuYasha" or "Yu Yu Hakusho." As a matter of fact, the people with the rights to them have most of my money from my investments in the manga, anime, and merchandise. I just like to write about the characters when I'm not playing with my Hiei and Kagome toys. ^_~

Just a short piece to get me in the holiday spirit by participating in TheDeadliestSin's December '09 Challenge. The challenge consists of 5 seasonal prompts. I won't promise I'll write for all of them, but hopefully, I'll get a couple of them done. ^_^ This one is for "ribbon."

Gift-Wrapped

"Hey, Hiei! It's about time you got here. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come," Yusuke greeted the fire apparition loudly.

"If I had known that was an option, I wouldn't be here."

Yusuke laughed and clapped him on the back. "Now, now. Don't be like that. This is fun! This year is almost over and we deserve to cut loose and celebrate. Look: we've got lots of good food and beer, and the girls are all decked out in their fancy dresses. We've even got some mistletoe hung up," he said with a wink.

"I did not come here to watch you make advances on all the females present."

He sure didn't come here to watch that oaf, Kuwabara, slobbering on Yukina, either. This whole night was going to be miserable.

"Aha! Present! I knew it! You're dying of curiosity about your present. Botan's idea to have a gift exchange was a good one, wasn't it? Well, you'll just have to wait until midnight. I _will_ tell you you're going to love yours because _I_ got your name. And I knew exactly what to get you. It's something you've been needing for a long time." Yusuke grinned and clapped him on the back again.

Hiei could just imagine what Yusuke might think he needed. Probably cigarettes. Or some hair gel. Or beer. Hell, he just might before this night was over. At least _he_ had sense enough to make Kurama get the gift for the name they gave him. He wasn't fool enough to think he knew what anyone else would want. The only reason he had showed up at all was because _she_ had been the one to tell him about the party. She had seemed so excited about it and he just hadn't been able to tell her no. Where was she, anyway?

As he looked around, Yusuke pointed to a tree decorated with gold paper fans and origami swans. "All the gifts are by the tree."

There she was. She was sitting on the floor while Keiko wove a white silk ribbon through her glossy, dark hair. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled with happiness. She was almost too pretty to be real. She looked like a beautiful china doll in that fancy red dress with the white lace at the bodice and the shimmery white stockings covering her legs.

"Hey, Keiko! C'mere!"

Hiei hoped the detective didn't expect him to actually be sociable with everyone. He was just here to enjoy the scenery--_that_ scenery, in particular. Ignoring the approaching woman, he kept his eyes glued on the dark-haired beauty across the room.

"Hello, Hiei. I'm glad you could make it," Keiko said with a smile.

"He's about to die of curiosity about his present," Yusuke told her. "Which package is it?" He nudged the apparition with his elbow. "Keiko wrapped it, but I picked it out myself--I know better than anyone what you'd like. "

It was all Hiei could do not to roll his eyes at such a statement.

"His gift is the one in the red wrap with the white ribbon."

That got his attention. He blinked, then turned to look at the couple standing in front of him with big smiles on their faces. "By the tree?"

They nodded. "No using the Jagan to peek under the wrap, either!" Yusuke teased him.

"I didn't give you enough credit, Yusuke. But don't expect me to wait until midnight."

He strode purposefully over to Kagome and held his hand out to her. She smiled and took his hand to let him help her get up from the floor, but her thanks was cut off when he tossed her over his shoulder and turned to leave with her.

"Hiei! What do you think you're doing?" Yusuke demanded as he watched the fire youkai open the nearest window and prepare to leap into the night.

"I'm taking my gift home to unwrap it in private. Nice party."

And with that, they were gone.

Yusuke stood there with his mouth open while everyone gathered around the window. "Well, damn. He wanted Kagome? Maybe I didn't know what he'd like, after all. I should have got him some condoms instead of a pair of sneakers."

"Hmph. Looks like it wouldn't have mattered anyway since he didn't wait until we opened presents," Shizuru pointed out. "I guess Kagome won't be needing the vibrator I got for her, either."


End file.
